Third

Quarter

1970

Adult Division, No. 301, Third Quarter, 1970

INDEX

Lesson Titles for the Quarter

Christ, the Answer to Man's Quest

Christ: Creator and Saviour

Christ, the Eternal One

Christ, the Great I AM

Christ, the Messiah-1

Christ, the Messiah-2

Christ, Our Mediator

Christ: Servant of Man's Necessity

Christ: Transformer of Men

10.

Christ, the Truth

11.

Christ, Our Full Salvation

12.

Christ: Justifier and Sanctifier

13.

Christ, the Way to Heaven

Sabbath School Lesson Quarterly (regular edition), No. 301, July-September, 1970. 30 cents a single

copy, $1.20 a year (four issues) ; no additional charge to countries requiring extra postage. Published

in the U.S.A. by Pacific Press Publishing Association (a corporation of S.D.A.), 1350 Villa Street,

Mountain View, California 94040. Second-class mail privileges authorized at Mountain View, Cali-

fornia. Form 3579 requested. When a change of address is desired, please be sure to send both old

and new addresses.

Cover art by John Steel, artist;



P.P.P.A.

Drawings by Vance Locke

The Blessing of Daily Study

"He who by faith receives the Word is receiving the

very life and character of God. Every seed brings forth

fruit after its kind. . . . Receive into the soul by faith the

incorruptible seed of the Word, and it will bring forth a

character and a life after the similitude of the character

and the life of

God."—Christ's Object Lessons,

page 38.

"Appreciation of the Bible grows with its study."—

Ibid.,

p. 132.

"God will make the most precious revelations to His

hungering, thirsting people. They will find that Christ is

a personal Saviour. As they feed upon His Word, they

find that it is spirit and life. The Word destroys the

natural, earthly nature, and imparts a new life in Christ

Jesus."—The

Desire of Ages,

page 391.

"The neglect of the Word means starvation to the soul."

—Counsels on Sabbath School Work,

page 44.

My Pledge

As one who greatly desires to improve his knowledge

of the Scriptures, I pledge myself to the careful and prayer-

ful study of some portion of my Sabbath School lesson each

day of the week.

(signed)

Chcriisit,

the fincomparrabile

THIRD QUARTER, 1970

The perfect union of the divine and the

human natures in the person of Jesus

Christ is the great central truth of Chris-

tianity, out of which all other truths grow

and on which they depend for their validity

and their saving power. This is not one

truth among others, nor simply the first

among many truths. It is the very heart

of the plan of salvation and of all re-

vealed truth.

The validity of every saving truth grows

out of the fact that the Son of Mary was

also the Son of God, that Jesus of Naza-

reth was the Christ, the Promised One, the

Messiah of prophecy. On this basis alone

can the sinless life, vicarious death, and

bodily resurrection of Christ be explained

or even considered credible. It is this great

truth that gives meaning to the priestly

intercession of Christ in the heavenly sanc-

tuary, and that assures us of His second

coming. If Christ was only human, as many

so-called Christians assert, there can be

no objective truth, nor saving power, in any

of these. Each of these facets of the life

and ministry of Christ on our behalf re-

quires that He be truly God as well as

truly man.

Our personal salvation—our hope of eter-

nal life—stands or falls on the issue of the

deity of Christ. A study of this great cen-

tral truth of the gospel will lead to an

enlarged understanding and a deeper ap-

preciation of the love of God and the

ministry of Christ on our behalf.

CHRIST, THE ANSWER TO MAN'S QUEST 1

"God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son." 1 John 5:11.

Like Nicodemus of old, many Christians

today are willing to accept Jesus as a great

prophet, philosopher, and teacher. They are

ready to acknowledge Him as the greatest

man of all time, His life as an inspiring

example for us to follow, and His words as

the most sublime ever spoken. But a belief

in Christ that does not go beyond this will

not save anyone. The great central fact

about Jesus of Nazareth is that He came

to this earth as the Son of God; He is

God in the full and supreme sense of the

word. Only the recognition of this sublime

truth can rescue a man from his depraved

nature, transform his life, and make him

eligible for life eternal.

LESSON OUTLINE

Life's Great Quest

Acts 16:25-31

The Gift of Infinite Love

John 3:16-18

God's Provision for Man's Need

John 6:51, 54, 55

Jesus Christ Is God Incarnate

Matt. 16:13-17

The Great Invitation

Matt. 11:28-30

The Two Doors to Destiny

1 John 5:6-12

Christ, the Answer to Man's Quest

LESSON 1



❑

Sunday

Part 1

LIFE'S GREAT

QUEST

Acts 16:25-31

THINK IT THROUGH

"At midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises

unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly

there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of

the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors

were opened, and everyone's bands were loosed. And

the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and

seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and

would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners

had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying,

Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. Then he called

for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell

down before Paul and Silas, and brought them out, and

said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said,

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved,

and thy house."

Sooner or later life confronts every man, as it did the Philip-

pian jailer, with a choice between the way of life eternal and

the way of death from which there is no resurrection. Thinking

he had no alternative to certain death as prescribed by Roman

law, the jailer preferred death at his own hand. But he had

not reckoned with the transforming influence of Paul and Silas

on their fellow prisoners, and he now recognized the presence

of that supernatural power as the alternative that saved him

from physical death. Perhaps it would also save him from a

life that he had found meaningless, hopeless, and disappointing.

Thus it came to pass that the Philippian earthquake released

the jailer from the shackles that bound him—as it had already

released his prisoners physically—and made him a free man in

Christ Jesus.

What decisive act of faith did Paul commend to the

jailer as the key to release from a meaningless, hopeless,

and disappointing existence?

In what ways does my life experience resemble that

of the Philippian jailer?

What does belief in Jesus involve? How does belief

save a person?

"The jailer had trembled as he be-

held the wrath of God manifested in

the earthquake; when he thought that

the prisoners had escaped he had been

ready to die by his own hand; but now

all these things seemed of little conse-

quence compared with

the new, strange

dread that agitated his mind, and his

desire to possess the tranquillity and

cheerfulness shown by the apostles un-

der suffering and abuse. He saw in

their countenances the light of heaven;

he knew that God had interposed in

a miraculous manner to save their lives;

and with peculiar force the words of

the spirit-possessed woman came to his

mind:

'These men are

the servants

the most high God, which show unto

us the way of salvation.'"—"The Acts

of the Apostles," page 216.



Christ, the Answer



to Man's Quest

LESSON 1



❑

Monday



Part 2



"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only-

THE GIFT OF begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should

INFINITE LOVE not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not

His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the

world through Him might be saved. He that believeth on

Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is con-

demned already, because he hath not believed in the

John 3:16-18 name of the only-begotten Son of God."

To believe in Jesus Christ as the world's greatest teacher

or its ideal man is not saving faith. There must be recognition

that Jesus the Christ is, indeed, God incarnate. This essential

fact of the Christian faith is the theme of John's Gospel: "In

the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and

the Word was God." "The Word was made flesh, and dwelt

among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the Only

Begotten of the Father)." John 1:1, 14.

The union of Deity and humanity in the person of Jesus of

Nazareth is the very heart of the Christian faith, and without

this—to borrow the words of Paul—"then is our preaching

vain, and your faith is also vain." "Your faith is vain; ye are

yet in your sins." 1 Cor. 15:14, 17. Read verses 12-23.

But even to believe that Christ is, indeed, the God-man is

not, in and of itself, sufficient to save a sinner. "The devils

also believe" that—"and tremble." James 2:19. It is necessary

also to receive Him in a personal way into one's heart and life

as well as to believe in Him; this alone brings with it "power

to become the sons of God." John 1:12.

What must a person believe "about" Christ in order

that belief "in" Him may be effective for salvation?



THINK IT THROUGH



What effect would a denial of the deity of Christ have

(a) on other facets of the Christian faith, and (b) on the

Christian's personal relationship to Christ?

Have I entered into that personal relationship with

Christ described in John 1:12, 13?

"The only plan that could be devised

to save the human race was that which

called for the incarnation, humiliation,

and crucifixion of the Son of God, the

Majesty of heaven. After the plan of

salvation was devised, Satan could

have no ground upon which to found

his suggestion that God, because so

great, could care nothing for so insig-

nificant a creature as man."—Ellen G.

White, "The Signs of the Times," Jan.

20, 1890.

"The humanity of the Son of God is

everything to us. It is the golden chain

that binds our souls to Christ, and

through Christ to God. This is to be our

study. Christ was a real man; He gave

proof of His humility in becoming a

man. Yet He was God in the flesh."—

"Selected Messages," Bk. 1, p. 244.

For further helpful comment on the

deity and incarnation of Christ, read

"SDA Bible Commentary," Vol. 5, pp.

917-919; "Questions on Doctrine,"

pages 641-660.



Christ, the Answer



to Man's Quest

LESSON 1



❑

Tuesday



Part 3



"I am the living Bread which came down from heaven:

GOD'S PROVISION if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and

FOR MAN'S NEED the bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give

for the life of the world."

"Whoso eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, hath

eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For

John 6:51, 54, 55 My flesh is meat indeed, and My blood is drink indeed."

As physical food is essential to the nourishment of physical

life, so spiritual food is essential to the sustenance of spiritual

life.

this graphic figure our Lord affirms the close, vital rela-

tionship that is necessary if belief in Him is to bring salvation

—a relationship as vital as food to the body. Here Jesus again

affirms the sublime fact that He had come from God in heaven.

Christ lives in us, and we live in Him; as a result of this

mutual

—

felationship it will be our joyous privilege to live for-

ever.

It is becoming ever more popular among professed Christians

to believe that Christ was divine in the same sense that all

good men are—no more and no less. They hail Him as the

greatest teacher of all time and as the best man who ever lived,

but emphatically deny that He was in any special sense divine.

But if Jesus is not the God-man, then there is no forgiveness

of sin, no justification, no salvation, no eternal life, no home

in heaven. "If ye believe not that I am He, ye shall die in your

sins," Jesus warned. John 8:24.

Read John 6:25-59 thoughtfully, tracing the development of

thought in Jesus' remarks.

How did Jesus illustrate and explain the keystone truth

that He had come forth from God, and that eternal life

is possible only by receiving Him into the life?



THINK IT THROUGH



On what sort of spiritual diet am I sustaining my Chris-

tian experience—one that is nourishing, or one that ap-

pears to be good food but from which the vital elements

have been removed? Am I starving spiritually?

What practical difference does it make whether I think

of Christ as the One who came from heaven to unite

humanity with divinity, or simply as a good Man and a

great teacher?

"Only the day before [Christ's ser-

mon on the Bread of Life], the great

multitude, when faint and weary, had

been fed by the bread which He had

given. As from that bread they had

received physical strength and refresh-

ment, so from Christ they might re-

ceive spiritual strength unto eternal

life."—"The Desire of Ages," page 386.

"Christ became one flesh with us, in

order that we might become one spirit

with Him. It is by virtue of this union

that we are to come forth from the

grave,—not merely as a manifestation

of the power of Christ, but because,

through faith, His life has become

ours. Those who see Christ in His true

character, and receive Him into the

heart, have everlasting life. It is

through the Spirit that Christ dwells in

;

and the spirit of God, received into

the heart by faith, is the beginning of

the life eternal."—"Ibid.," p. 388.

Christ, the Answer to Man's Quest

LESSON 1



❑

Wednesday

Part 4



"Jesus . . . asked His disciples, saying, Whom do men

JESUS CHRIST IS say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say

GOD INCARNATE that Thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others,

Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But

whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and

said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And

Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou,

Simon Bar-Jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed

Matt. 16:13-17 it unto thee, but My Father which is in heaven."

This conversation between Jesus and His disciples took place

toward the close of His earthly ministry, after they had had

ample opportunity to listen and to observe. They knew that

other people thought Him saint-like in character and were

willing to accept Him as a messenger sent from God. Did the

disciples merely reflect popular opinion, or had their more

intimate association with Jesus given them a deeper insight?

Peter summed up the consensus of his fellow disciples when

he answered Jesus: They knew Him to be the Messiah of

prophecy, very God in human flesh. This conviction, Jesus

pointed out, had been impressed upon their hearts by the

Holy Spirit as they heard Jesus' words and witnessed His

mighty works. Happy indeed the men in whom this conviction

is fixed! This sublime truth, this conviction, Jesus went on to

explain, is the great rock of truth on which He would build

His church. Matt. 16:18.

Read Peter's stirring affirmation of faith in Jesus as the

Christ, written thirty-five years or so later, as recorded in

2 Peter 1:16-21.

THINK IT THROUGH

Of what two facts concerning Jesus were His disciples

fully convinced? How had they arrived at this conclusion?

If I had been in Peter's place, how would I have re-

sponded to Jesus' question as to who He really is?

Is my personal opinion about Jesus merely the reflec-

tion of what others say, or is this knowledge the result of

my own experience and conviction?

"On this day, before they [the disci-

ples] were brought face to face with

the great trial of their faith, the Holy

Spirit rested upon them in power. For

a little time their eyes were turned

away from 'the things which are seen,'

to behold 'the things which are not

seen.' 2 Cor. 4:18. Beneath the guise

of humanity they discerned the glory

of the Son of God. . . .

"The truth which Peter had confessed

is the foundation of the believer's

faith. It is that which Christ Himself has

declared to be eternal life. But the pos-

session of this knowledge was no

ground for self-glorification. Through

no wisdom or goodness of his own had

it been revealed to Peter. Never can

humanity, of itself, attain to a knowl-

edge of the divine."—"The Desire of

Ages," page 412.

2—A.3Qt.70



Christ, the Answer to Man's Quest

LESSON 1



❑

Thursday

THINK IT THROUGH

"Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy-laden,

and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and

learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye

shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and

My burden is light."

By virtue of His personal knowledge of the Father and the

Father's will for men (Matt. 11:27), Christ was preeminently

qualified to reveal the Father to men. The wise and learned

of earth (verse 25) cannot do so because they have not known

the Father as He knows the Father. He speaks authentically

for the Father, and in Him we will find true rest of soul.

The rest to which Christ invites us is rest from our heavy

loads of sin. These heavy loads are the burden of sin and igno-

rance of God's divine love and will. But God made man to

enjoy the glorious freedom of sons (Rom. 8:21), and, chained

like a slave to the burden of sin, his soul cannot be at rest

until he finds release from the shackles of sin and enters into

the glorious freedom for which the Creator designed him. As

Augustine wrote in his

Confessions,

"Thou hast made us for

Thyself, 0 Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in

Thee."

To those who follow Him, Christ offers the yoke of loving

service. It is "easy" and "light," compared with the yoke of

sin. No burden, says the proverb, is heavy to a loving heart,

and genuine love for Christ makes it one's supreme joy to live

in harmony with His revealed will.

For further inspired comment on the rest of the soul in

Christ, read Hebrews 4:1-11.

What surcease from life's burdensome quest did Christ

offer those who come to Him in faith and submission?

Have I attained fully to the rest of soul the Saviour

offers me? Am I gladly wearing the yoke of joyful ser-

vice for Him?

Part 5

THE GREAT

INVITATION

Matt. 11:28-30

"Whether they know it or not, all

are weary and heavy-laden. All are

weighed down with burdens that only

Christ can remove. The heaviest burden

that we bear is the burden of sin. If we

were left to bear this burden, it would

crush us. But the Sinless One has taken

our place. 'The Lord hath laid on Him

the iniquity of us all.' Is°. 53:6. He has

borne the burden of our guilt. He will

take the load from our weary shoul-

ders. He will give us rest. The burden

of care and sorrow also He will bear.

He invites us to cast all our care upon

Him; for He carries us upon His heart."

—"The Desire of Ages," pages 328, 329.

"Worry is blind, and cannot discern

the future; but Jesus sees the end from

the beginning. In every difficulty He

has His way prepared to bring relief.

Our heavenly Father has a thousand

ways to provide for us, of which we

know nothing. Those who accept the

one principle of making the service

and honor of God supreme will find

perplexities vanish, and a plain path

before their feet."—"Ibid.," p. 330.

Christ, the Answer to Man's Quest

LESSON 1



❑

Friday

Part 6



"This is He that came by water and blood, even Jesus

THE TWO DOORS Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And

TO DESTINY it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit

is truth. For there are three that bear record in heaven,

the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three

are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth,

the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three

agree in one. If we receive the witness of men, the wit-

ness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God

which He hath testified of His Son. He that believeth on

the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that be-

lieveth not God hath made Him a liar; because he believ-

eth not the record that God gave of His Son. And this is

the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and

this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and

John 5:6-12 he that hath not the Son of God hath not life."

THINK IT THROUGH

At the beginning of Jesus' public ministry the Holy Spirit

visibly acknowledged Him to be the Messiah, and a voice from

heaven attested Him to be the Son of God. To this event John

points as a witness to the deity of our Lord. "The blood of

his death" at the close of His life mission likewise provided

supernatural confirmation of His Messiahship. On both occa-

sions at least some of the bystanders witnessed these evidences

of divinity and were convinced. Read John 1:31-34; Matt.

27:54.

As we conternpAts these events in the life of Christ, the Holy

Spirit impresses our hearts, as it did the heart of John the

Baptist at the baptism and the heart of the centurion at the

crucifixion, that Jesus is indeed God's Son. We thus have a three-

fold witness concerning the deity of the God-man Jesus Christ.

It is our privilege to accept this witness, not only as a sublime

truth to be apprehended by the mind, but to be accepted also

into the heart and life. As we accept this witness, we enter

upon life eternal—by faith in Him. Read John 1:12.

To what threefold evidence of the divine sonship of

Christ did John point?

Am I fully persuaded by the evidence that Jesus is

what He claimed to be, the Son of God?

What does it mean to "have" the Son of God? Do I

"have" Him in this sense?



"In Christ is life, original, unbor-



said Jesus, 'though he were dead, yet



rowed,- underived. 'He that hath the



shall he live: and whosoever liveth and



Son hath life.' 1 John 5:12. The divinity



believeth in Me shall never die.'"—"The



of Christ is the believer's assurance of



Desire of Ages," page 530.

eternal life. 'He that believeth in Me,'

Christ, the Answer to Man's Quest

LESSON 1

Part 7 G SUMMARY QUESTIONS G A TEST OF YOUR STUDY POWER

Now that you have studied this lesson you are invited to answer the fol-

lowing questions. Check your answers with the answers at the bottom of the

sheet.

What benefit bestowed upon the Philippian jailer by Paul conditioned

him to appreciate and desire salvation?



Jesus told Nicodemus that judgment comes upon a person for not believ-

ing in Him as:

(a)

The Son of David,

(b)

the Son of God,

(c)

the Son of

man,

(d)

the Son of Mary and Joseph



Complete: In the synagogue at Capernaum Jesus declared: "I am the



which came down from heaven: if any man



he shall live forever."

True or False: John the beloved was the first of all the disciples to acknowl-

edge Jesus as the Son of God



What does Christ give the repentant sinner in exchange for the heavy

load of sin he surrenders to Christ?



According to John, God awards the gift of eternal life to the person who

believes in Christ:

(a)

When he accepts Christ as his Saviour,

(b)

at his

baptism, (c) at the resurrection,

(d)

when he attains to perfection



'e (



:0210A

UAW Sal (9) :esre) (t)



sm;

30 pa 'peaaq 21qATI (z) :q (z) :an/ popAqd (1) :s

nmsuv

LESSON 2

July 11, 1970

CHRIST: CREATOR AND SAVIOUR

"God . . . hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath

appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds; who being the

brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all

things by the word of his power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat

down on the right hand of the Majesty on high." Heb. 1:1-3.

LESSON OUTLINE

It is of supreme moment that the One

appointed by Heaven to save us from our

sins and restore us to peace with God, is the

very One who created us and gave us life to

begin with. Creative power is as necessary

to restore the image of God in mortal sin-

ners as it was to makeirian in God's image

and impart the spark of life to him in the

beginning. The sublime truth that our Crea-

tor is also our Saviour testifies to the in-

finite wisdom, and above all the infinite,

steadfast love, of our heavenly Parent.

Partners in Creation

Gen. 1:1, 26, 27

Creator and Saviour Are One

Col. 1:12-17

Creatorship Identifies the True

God

Jer. 10:10-12

Jesus Christ: Truly God

1 John 5:11, 12, 20

Salvation Requires Creative

Power

Eph. 2:4-7, 10

The Sabbath Witnesses to the

Creator

Ex. 20:8-11



Christ: Creator and



Saviour

LESSON 2



❑

Sunday



Part 1



"In the beginning God created the heaven and the

PARTNERS IN earth."



CREATION



"And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, after

Our likeness. . . . So God created man in His own image,

in the image of God created He him; male and female

Gen. 1:1, 26, 27 created He them."

In decisive contrast to the polytheism of all other ancient

religious systems, the Old Testament stresses the fact that there

is but

one

true God. This sublime truth was set forth succinctly

in the great affirmation of Israel's faith: "Hear, 0 Israel: The

Lord our God is one Lord: and thou shalt love the Lord thy

God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all

thy might." Deut. 6:4, 5. Nevertheless, in a few select places

in the Old Testament there are clear hints of a plurality of

persons within the one true God.

Perhaps the clearest of these indications occurs in the crea-

tion record, where God communes with Himself, "Let

make

man in

Our

image." Here the Old Testament, while not explicitly

identifying the promised Messiah as the divine Creator, pro-

vides for that more complete revelation later enshrined in the

New Testament, identifying man's Saviour as the One who, in

the beginning, created him.

It is fitting that the One who created man should be the

One to save and re-create him. Who could have a more per-

sonal and profound interest in man than the One who gave

him being and breath? Furthermore, the same creative power

that gave man being to begin with, was needed to restore him

to favor with God and to make him once more in the divine

likeness from which, through sin, he fell.

Read also 1 Cor. 3:16; Eph. 3:17.

What exalted privilege does the Sovereign of the uni-

verse offer those who are humble and contrite of heart?

What does it mean to be humble and contrite of heart?

In what ways will my thinking, conversation, and

actions be different from what they are if I measure up

to this requirement?

Part 6

THE ETERNAL ONE

DWELLS IN US

Isa. 57:15

"The physical life is to be carefully

educated, cultivated, and developed,

that through men and women the di-

vine nature may be revealed in its ful-

ness. God expects men to use the

intellect He has given them. He expects

them to use every reasoning power for

Him. They are to give the conscience

the place of supremacy that has been

assigned it. The mental and physical

powers, with the affections, are to be

so cultivated that they can reach the

highest efficiency."—"Sons and Daugh-

ters of God," page

314.

Christ, the Eternal One

LESSON 3

Part 7 G SUMMARY QUESTIONS G A TEST OF YOUR STUDY POWER

Now that you have studied this lesson you are invited to answer the fol-

lowing questions. Check your answers with the answers at the bottom of this

sheet.

The prophet who foretold Jesus' birth in Bethlehem was:

(a)

Isaiah,

(b)

Micah,

(c)

Daniel,

(d)

David



Paul applies the declaration by the Father, "Thou art My Son, this day

have I begotten Thee," to:

(a)

A moment in eternity past when Christ came

into being as the Son of God,

(b)

His birth in Bethlehem,

(c)

His baptism

at the Jordan River,

(d)

His resurrection from the grave

Complete: "The



was God.



And the



was

made flesh, and dwelt among us."

True or False: In the first chapter of Hebrews, Christ is presented as

addressing the Father, "Thy throne, 0 God, is forever and ever: a scepter

of righteousness is the scepter of Thy kingdom "



Complete: Before ever He came to this earth, Christ "thought it not

to be



with God."

The One who inhabits eternity desires also to dwell



Wee!! ;11;uoo pue up:puny au;

'10

‘s4aeati Ino u! (g) !lenba 'Llaqqo.! (9) !age; (t)



'Nom

(9)



(z) :q



:siannsuy

LESSON 4

July 25, 1970

CHRIST, THE GREAT I AM

"Trust ye in the Lord forever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength."

Isa. 26:4.

The New Testament presents Christ as

Creator and Sustainer of all things, as God

in the full and unqualified sense of the

word, and as the great "I AM" of the Old

Testament. He was the Sovereign of Israel

under the old covenant, as He is our Lord

under the new covenant. It was He who led

Israel out of the lard of their bondage, who

cared for them through forty years of wan-

dering in the wilderness, and who led them

in the conquest of the land of Canaan.

LESSON OUTLINE

The Great I AM

Ex. 3:13, 14; 6:3

Before Abraham Was, I AM

John 8:56-59

The Alpha and Omega

Revelation 1:4, 8; 22:12, 13

The Rock of Ages

1 Cor. 10:1-4

The Way to the Father

John 14:6-9

The Fullness of the Godhead

Col. 2:6-9



Christ, the Great I



LESSON 4



❑

Sunday



Part 1



"And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto

THE GREAT I AM the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God

of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall

say to me, What is His name? what shall I say unto them?

And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and He said,

Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath

sent me unto you."

"I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto

Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by My name

Ex. 3:13, 14; 6:3 JEHOVAH was I not known to them."

Calling Israel out of Egypt to be His chosen people, God re-

vealed Himself to them by a new name by which they were to

know Him. That name was Yahweh (incorrectly transliterated

into English as Jehovah). In Bible times a personal name was

significant in that it reflected a person's character, ideals, as-

pirations, or some great experience in life. The name Yahweh

(usually rendered in the King James Version as LORD, in capital

and small capital letters) is thought to be a form of the verb

"to be," and may be rendered freely into English as "the self-

existent One," "the Eternal," "the ever-living One."

This name, which occurs more than five thousand times in

the Old Testament, distinguished the true God from all false

gods. Because of the importance ancient peoples attached to

personal names, and because of the transcendent majesty of

the true God, Sovereign of the universe, the Jews eventually

came to regard the name itself with such sanctity that they

never took it upon their lips, and as a result knowledge of its

true pronunciation was eventually lost. Sometimes scribes, com-

ing to the sacred name Yahweh, would leave the space blank,

though usually they added the vowels of the ordinary word

for "lord" to the consonants of Yahweh, and read the name

as "Lord." This combination of the consonants for Yahweh

and the vowels for the Hebrew word for "lord," when vocal-

ized, sounds something like Jehovah. However, a Jewish reader

coming to the word always read "Lord," and never "Jehovah."

By what new name did God make Himself known to

Moses and the Hebrews when He summoned them out

'of Egypt to become His chosen, covenant people?



THINK IT THROUGH



Why did God reveal Himself to Israel by a new name

when He summoned them out of Egypt to become His

covenant people?

In what ways can I express reverence for the various

names and titles by which I refer to God?

"I AM means an eternal presence;

the past, present, and future are alike

to God. He sees the most remote events

of past history, and the far distant

future with as clear a vision as we do

those things that are transpiring daily.

We know not what is before us, and if

we did, it would not contribute to our

eternal welfare. God gives us an op-

portunity to exercise faith and trust in

the great

AM."—Ellen G. White Com-

ments, "SDA Bible Commentary," Vol.

1, p. 1099.

Christ, the Great I

LESSON 4



❑

Monday

Part 2

BEFORE ABRAHAM

WAS, I AM

John 8:56-59

THINK IT THROUGH

"Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day: and

he saw it, and was glad. Then said the Jews unto Him,

Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast Thou seen Abra-

ham? Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you,

Before Abraham was, I AM. Then took they up stones to

cast at Him: but Jesus hid Himself, and went out of the

temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed

by."

For millenniums those who honored the true God had been

looking forward to the promised Messiah, and with earnest

longing the devout yearned for His coming. When Jesus came

in fulfillment of all that the prophets of old had written con-

cerning Him, those of contrite heart and spiritual discernment

recognized in Him this Promised One. Spiritual pride prevented

others from accepting Him. "He came unto His own, and His

own received Him not." John 1:11.

Present truth in Christ's day proclaimed Jesus of Nazareth

to be the Messiah of prophecy, incarnate. "Jesus is the Christ"

was the watchword of the early church (John 20:31; 1 John

5:1), their creed and confession of faith.

When, during the course of a heated discussion with the

leaders of the nation, Jesus referred to Himself by the sacred

name "I AM" (Yahweh), thus identifying Himself as the God

of the Old Testament, they took up stones intending to kill

Him on the spot for what they assumed to be blasphemy. For

a mere human being to make the claim would, indeed, have

been blasphemy. This, in fact, was one of the charges upon

which His enemies based his death warrant. Matt. 26:63-66.

Upon another occasion when they took up stones to kill Him,

they justified their proposed course of action with the explana-

tion "that Thou, being a man, makest Thyself God." John

10:33.

Account for the crisis that arose when Jesus declared,

"Before Abraham was, I AM."

Place yourself in the position of the people of Christ's

day. If a person who to all appearances was a human

being came claiming to be God, how would you react?

What evidence would you be willing to accept for such

a claim? What evidence did the people of Christ's day

have by which they might reach a decision with respect

to His claim?

"Silence fell upon the vast assembly.

The name of God, given to Moses to

express the idea of the eternal pres-

ence, had been claimed as His own by

this Galilean Rabbi. He had announced

Himself to be the self-existent One, He

who had been promised to Israel,

'whose goings forth have been from of

old, from the days of eternity.' Micah

5:2, margin."—"The Desire of Ages,"

pages 469, 470.



Christ, the Great I



LESSON 4



❑

Tuesday



Part 3



"Grace be unto you, and peace, from Him which is,

THE ALPHA and which was, and which is to come."



AND OMEGA



"1 am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end-

ing, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which

is to come, the Almighty."

"Behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me,

to give every man according as his work shall be. I am

Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first



Rev. 1:4, 8; 22:12, 13



and the last."

John's title for the last book of Holy Writ is, "The Revela-

tion of Jesus Christ." Rev. 1:1. He begins (verses 4, 5) by

ascribing to God the Father three expressions that express His

timeless eternity: (1) He "was" in all time and eternity past,

He "is" now, and He "is to come," or "will be," in all time

and eternity future. (2) He is the "Alpha and Omega"—the

"A" and "Z" as we would say—the first and last letters of the

Greek alphabet. (3) He is "the beginning and the ending," not

in the sense that He ever had a beginning or that He will ever

have an end, but in the sense that He existed in all eternity

past, before other beings and things, and that none will exist

after Him, inasmuch as He will never cease to exist.

John closes His revelation of Jesus Christ by ascribing these

same attributes to Christ, in a context where it is evident that

he refers to Christ. Rev. 22:13, 16.

The Greek expression translated "Him which is," literally

"the being [One]," is identical with the Septuagint translation

of the sacred name "I AM" in Exodus 3:14. Whether John's

omission of the timeless triad—is, was, and is to be—when he

applies the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, to

Christ in chapter 22, was intentional, we do not know. How-

ever, it is evident from such passages as John 1:1-3 ; 8:56-59;

10:33 and others, that John did, in fact, apply the sacred name

reflected in this expression, to Christ. Compare John 20:31.

By what expressions does John refer to the timeless,

eternal nature of God the Father and of Christ, and what

do these expressions tell us about both members of the

Trinity?



THINK IT THROUGH



What if the God I worship were not eternal? What

difference does it make to me that He is eternal?

Are there any attributes of Deity that belong to one

of the members of the heavenly Trio but not to the

others?

"Christ Jesus is the Alpha and the

Omega, the Genesis of the Old Testa-

ment, and the Revelation of the New.

Both meet together in Christ. Adam and

God are reconciled by the obedience of

the second Adam, who accomplished

the work of overcoming the tempta-

tions of Satan and redeeming Adam's

disgraceful failure and fall."—Ellen G.

White Comments, "SDA Bible Commen-

tary," Vol. 6, pp. 1092, 1093.

Christ, the Great I AM

LESSON 4



❑

Wednesday

Part 4



"Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be

THE ROCK OF AGES ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud,

and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized

unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and did all eat

the same spiritual meat; and did all drink the same

spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that

1 Cor. 10:1-4 followed them: and that Rock was Christ."

THINK IT THROUGH

In Deut. 32:4 Moses refers to the God of Israel as "the

Rock." A rock aptly represents solidity, strength, endurance,

and security. Also, in Israel's wilderness wanderings, a rock

was the source of life-giving water. The metaphor "Rock" was

thus fraught with meaning and assurance for those who trust

in Him.

Writing to the Corinthians, Paul explicitly declares that the

Rock accompanying the people of Israel in the wilderness was

none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. They were under the

personal guardianship of the Almighty. In his valedictory

address to Israel Moses said of the Lord: "Be strong and of

a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them [the nations of

Canaan]: for the Lord thy God, He it is that doth go with

thee; He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." Deut. 31:6.

In particular, Paul alludes to the smitten rock from which

streams of water poured forth for the wanderers in a dry,

desolate, and weary land. Like Israel of old, it is our privilege

to have that spiritual Rock with us as we journey through

life.

With what appropriate and meaningful figure of

speech does the apostle Paul sum up the tender watch-

care of the Lord for His people?

To what extent may it be that references to God in

the Old Testament focus particularly on the One who

later came to earth as the Christ?

In what ways can the figure of speech comparing

Christ with a mighty rock strengthen and encourage me

on my journey through life?

"The smitten rock was a figure of

Christ, and through this symbol the

most precious spiritual truths are

taught. As the life-giving waters flowed

from the smitten rock, so from Christ,

'smitten of God,' wounded for our

transgressions,' bruised for our iniqui-

ties' ... , the stream of salvation flows

for a lost race. As the rock had been

once smitten, so Christ was to be 'once

offered to bear the sins of many.' . . .

Our Saviour was not to be sacrificed

5—A.3Qt.70

a second time; and it is only necessary

for those who seek the blessings of His

grace to ask in the name of Jesus, pour-

ing forth the heart's desire in peniten-

tial prayer. Such prayer will bring be-

fore the Lord of hosts the wounds. of

Jesus, and then will flow forth afresh

the life-giving blood, symbolized by

the flowing of the living water for Is-

rael."—"Patriarchs and Prophets," page

411.

Christ, the Great I AM

LESSON 4



❑

Thursday

Part 5



"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and

THE WAY TO the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me. If

THE FATHER ye had known Me, ye should have known My Father also:

and from henceforth ye know Him, and have seen Him.

Philip saith unto Him, Lord, show us the Father, and it

sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long

time with you, and yet host thou not known Me, Philip?

he that hath seen Me hath seen the Father; and how

John 14:6-9 sayest thou then, Show us the Father?"

Jesus' mission to earth may be summed up by saying that

He came to reveal the Father. This Jesus accomplished by the

gracious words He spoke, by His tender ministry to the needs

of mankind, and above all by His own perfect life of conform-

ity to the eternal principles of heaven. He was, in and of

Himself, the perfect revelation of the Father. Sin had opened

a wide and deep chasm of ignorance and suspicion between

God and man; Jesus came to earth to build a bridge by which

we might find our way back to God. In fact, He

was

that

bridge. He is the way by which we can return to God, and

there is no other; "No man cometh unto the Father, but by

Me." Read John 17:3-8.

Down through the centuries men have sought to reach

heaven by many paths other than the one over which Jesus

pioneered the way—by self-righteous living, by philosophy, by

a form of religion without its transforming power, by wor-

shiping the works of their hands. But, one and all, these are

dead-end streets. "Neither is there salvation in any other: for

there is none other name under heaven given among men,

whereby we must be saved." Acts 4:12.

How did Jesus, on the night that He was betrayed,

sum up for the disciples the purpose of His mission to

earth?

In what respects is the figurative expression, "the

way," an appropriate description of Christ's role as the

Saviour of men?

May there be more than a passing connection between

what Jesus told His disciples in John 14:6-9, and the fact

that the early Christians referred to their religion as "the

way"? See Acts 9:2; 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14.

THINK IT THROUGH

"Before the days of Christ, men

asked in vain, 'What is truth?' Darkness

covered the earth, and gross darkness

the people. Even Judea was shrouded

in gloom, although the voice of God

spoke to them in His oracles. The truth

of God had been silenced by the super-

stition and traditions of its professed

interpreters, and contention, jealousy,

and prejudice divided the professed

children of God. Then was a Teacher

sent from God, even Him who was the

way, the truth, and the life. Jesus pre-

sented to view the pure, rich truth of

heaven to shine amid the moral dark-

ness and gloom of earth. God had said,

'Let there be spiritual light,' and the

light of the glory of God was revealed

in the face of Jesus Christ."—"Funda-

mentals of Christian Education," pages

238, 239.



Christ, the Great I



LESSON 4



❑

Friday



Part 6



"As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord,

THE FULLNESS OF so walk ye in Him: rooted and built up in Him, and stab-

THE GODHEAD lished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding

therein with thanksgiving. . . . For in Him dwelleth all

Col. 2:6-9 the fullness of the Godhead bodily."

Jesus is "the way" in which we are to "walk," that is, to

conduct ourselves. Like trees firmly rooted in the soil, we are

to be anchored to Him and to gain our nourishment from

Him. Read Psalm 1. Like a sturdy building, we are to build

and establish ourselves on Him as the foundation of our lives.

All that Jesus means to us is anchored to the fact that

"In Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily." In

nature, in character, in divine attributes, in solicitous care for

the creatures of His hand, Christ and the Father are one. Christ

is God in every sense of the word, and this sublime fact is our

assurance and hope.

During the early centuries of the Christian Era a number

of heresies arose to trouble the church with respect to (1) the

nature of Christ as a divine-human being, and (2) His rela-

tionship to the other members of the Trinity. Among these

heresies were Docetism, Gnosticism, Sabellianism, Monarchian-

ism, Arianism, and Nestorianism. In a series of church coun-

cils from A.D.

325

at Nicea to A.D. 680 at Constantinople, the

church found its way through to the truth that Christ is God

in every sense, and that there is one God in three divine Persons.

The Council of Chalcedon (A.D. 451) declared: "We . .

confess .



. Jesus Christ, the same perfect in Godhead and

also perfect in manhood; truly God and truly man, of a rea-

sonable [rational] soul and body; consubstantial with the

Father according to the Godhead, and consubstantial with us

according to the manhood; in all things like unto us, without

sin."—Philip Schaff,

The Creeds of Christendom,

Vol. 2, p. 62.

What positive affirmation by the apostle Paul settles

for all time the degree of Christ's divinity?



THINK IT THROUGH



Is there any sense, or any degree, in which Christ the

Son is divine in a subordinate sense or to a lesser degree?

How shall we understand the repeated statements by

Christ while on earth, that of Himself He could do nothing

and that the Father was greater than He?

r1.

"If Christ made all things, He existed

before all things. The words spoken in

regard to this are so decisive that no

one need be left in doubt. Christ was

God essentially, and in the highest

sense. He was with God from all eter-

nity, God over all, blessed forever-

more."—Ellen G. White Comments,

"SDA Bible Commentary," Vol. 5, p.

1126.

Christ, the Great I AM

LESSON 4

Part 7 G SUMMARY QUESTIONS O

A TEST OF YOUR STUDY POWER

Now that you have studied this lesson you are invited to answer the fol-

lowing questions. Check your answers with the answers at the bottom of this

sheet.

Complete: God instructed Moses to introduce Him to the Hebrew people

in Egypt by the new title,



The Jews took up stones to kill Jesus when He spoke of Himself as:

(a)

the Son of God,

(b)

the Son of Abraham,

(c)

the Messiah,

(d)

the I



True or False: In the Revelation, both God the Father and God the Son

are referred to as "Alpha and Omega" and as "the beginning and the

end "



In relating the goodness of God manifested to Israel on their way out of

Egypt, Paul refers to Christ under the symbol of:

(a)

a rock, (b) a cloud,

(d)

eagle's wings



Complete: On the night of His betrayal, Jesus told His disciples, "I am

the



the



and the



• no man



but by Me."

True or False: According to Paul, Christ is as truly and fully God as the

Father is



•

ans; (9)

!iatiwa oto own ti

owoo 'ajg

q171111

'Arm

(5) :e (t)

!alai; (£) !P (Z) !INV I (I) :siannsuAr

LESSON 5

August 1, 1970

CHRIST, THE MESSIAH -1

"I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep

that which I have committed unto Him against that day." 2 Tim. 1:12.

In order that men might find deliverance

from sin and death, it was necessary that

they recognize their Deliverer when He

should appear; they must have convincing

evidence of His divine commission. To this

end, God placed on record in the Old Tes-

tament a series of prophetic utterances in

which He foretold every significant fact

about the person, the coming, the life, and

the death and resurrection of the Messiah.

Some of these predictions are explicit and

clear, while the Messianic import of others

might be missed unless later inspired spokes-

men had called attention to them. Many

of the prophecies to which Jesus directed

the minds of the two disciples on the way

to Emmaus on the afternoon of the resur-

rection day were doubtless of this kind. Still

other Old Testament passages, which had a

local application in historical events of

their own time, were later recognized as

parallel in certain respects to the Messiah,

and thus are helpful in understanding His

mission to earth.

LESSON OUTLINE

1. We Have Found the Messias

John 1:35-37, 40-42

2. A Prophet Without Honor

Matt. 13:54-57

3. The Testimony of Eyewitnesses

1 John 1:1-3

4. Fulfilled Prophecy

2 Peter 1:16-19

5. Convincing Evidence

Luke 24:25-27, 32, 44-46

6. Personal Conviction

2 Tim. 1:9, 10, 12

Christ, the Messiah-1

LESSON 5



❑

Sunday



Part 1



"The next day after John stood, and two of his dis-

WE HAVE FOUND ciples; and looking upon Jesus as He walked, he saith,

THE MESSIAS Behold the Lamb of God! And the two disciples heard him

speak, and they followed Jesus."

"One of the two which heard John speak, and fol-

lowed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first

findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We

have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the

John 1:35-37, 40-42 Christ. And he brought him to Jesus."

Four thousand years had passed since the first promise of

a Saviour in the Garden of Eden. Gen. 3:15. For centuries the

prophets had foretold His coming, and with earnest desire men

and women of contrite hearts yearned for the fulfillment of the

promises. Then one day, in the fullness of time, God sent forth

His Son into the world (Gal. 4:4), and a voice was heard

proclaiming that the Lamb of God had, at long last, appeared.

With what joy of heart the devout must have passed the

word from lip to lip, "We have found the Messias !" The day

of deliverance was at hand. The day for which all Israel hoped

had at last dawned. The promised Deliverer had come. Eager

expectation took possession of hearts and minds.

At the beginning of His ministry Christ was anointed by

the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:38), thereby receiving Heaven's seal

of approval as the One sent by God to be the Saviour of the

world. The names "Messiah" and "Christ" thus express the

divine commission with which He came to this world.

By what meaningful symbols did John the Baptist

introduce Jesus to the throng that had come to hear him

speak, and how did some in the audience interpret John's

announcement when they reported it to their friends?



THINK IT THROUGH



Why did John introduce Jesus to the listening throng

as "the Lamb of God"?

If Jesus had come in our time, how might He be in-

troduced in a way that would be meaningful to people

today, as the titles "Lamb of God" and "Christ" were

meaningful to the people of John's day?

"When at the baptism of Jesus, John

pointed to Him as the Lamb of God, a

new light was shed upon the Messiah's

work. The prophet's mind was directed

to the words of Isaiah, 'He is brought

as a lamb to the slaughter.' Isa. 53:7.

During the weeks that followed, John

with new interest studied the proph-

ecies and the teaching of the sacrificial

service. . . .

"Was this the Christ? With awe and

wonder the people looked upon the

One just declared to be the Son of God.

They had been deeply moved by the

words of John. He had spoken to them

in the name of God. They had listened

to him day after day as he reproved

their sins, and daily the conviction that

he was sent of Heaven had strength-

ened."—"The Desire of Ages," pages

136, 137.

Christ, the Messiah-1

LESSON 5



❑

Monday



Part 2



"When He was come into His own country, He taught

A PROPHET them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were aston-

WITHOUT HONOR ished, and said, Whence hath this Man this wisdom, and

these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter's Son? is not

His mother called Mary? and His brethren, James, and

Joses, and Simon, and Judas? and His sisters, are they

not all with us? Whence then hath this Man all these

things? And they were offended in Him. But Jesus said

unto them, A prophet is not without honor, save in his

Matt. 13:54-57 own country, and in his own house."

John, Andrew, Simon, Philip, and Nathanael accepted Jesus

as the Messiah immediately and without question. With spir-

itual insight they saw in Him more than simply another human

being like themselves. To be sure, they were far from under-

standing all that was involved in Christ's mission to earth, and

in fact they had some very mistaken concepts about Him and

why He had come. But they did recognize and accept Him at

once for what He was, the Messiah.

Not so with the people generally, whose spiritual eyesight

was dim. Most people were impressed with His gracious words

and His miracles. Never before had they listened to such heart-

stirring messages, and they recognized in Him a power at work

far beyond human ability. But Jesus appeared to be another

human being essentially like themselves. They knew about His

human ancestry and were personally acquainted with members

of His family. "He came unto His own, and His own received

Him not." "He was in the world, . . . and the world knew

Him not." John 1:11, 10. The prince of this world had blinded

them with spiritual myopia; they could not see beyond the

material to the spiritual reality behind it.

Isaiah had foretold this spiritual blindness. Read Isa. 53:2.

Eventually a majority of people "went back, and walked no

more with Him"; but a few remained firm in their faith,

saying, "We believe and are sure that Thou art that Christ, the

Son of the living God." John 6:66, 69.

Into what dilemma did Jesus' return to Nazareth

plunge the townspeople? With what result?



THINK IT THROUGH



List a number

of reasons why the people who knew

Jesus best were among the first to reject Him.

What practical lesson, if any, can I derive from the

saying, "A prophet is not without honor, save in his own

country"?

"Toward the close of His ministry in

Galilee, He again visited the home of

His childhood. Since His rejection there,

the fame of His preaching and His

miracles had filled the land. None now

could deny that He possessed more than

human power. The people of Nazareth

knew that He went about doing good,

and healing all that were oppressed by

Satan. About them were whole villages

where there was not a moan of sick-

ness in any house; for He had passed

through them, and healed all their

sick. The mercy revealed in every act

of His life testified to His divine anoint-

ing."—"The Desire of Ages," page 241.

Christ, the Messiah-1

LESSON 5



❑

Tuesday



Part 3



"That which was from the beginning, which we have

THE TESTIMONY heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have

OF EYEWITNESSES looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word

of life; (for the life was manifested, and we have seen

it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life,

which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)

that which we have seen and heard declare we unto

you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly

our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus



1 John 1:1-3



Christ."

THINK IT THROUGH

One of the noteworthy aspects of the New Testament record

of the life and mission of Jesus is the absolute confidence its

writers reflect in Jesus as the promised Messiah and the Son

of God. Those closest to Him and best able to judge the validity

of the evidence He offered accepted it as conclusive proof of

His Messiahship. The last lingering doubt, even on the part

of Thomas, was dispelled. This certainty in what they be-

lieved gave convincing power to the message the apostles bore

as they went out to the world with the gospel story.

The evidence John cites is threefold: he had seen, heard,

and touched Jesus. He saw the miracles Christ performed, he

heard the gracious words of truth Jesus spoke, and by touch

he knew Jesus to be a real being and not a phantom, as the

Docetists of John's time claimed. John's account of events

was that of an eyewitness, and no one could shake his testi-

mony. Read also John 6:66-69.

What reasons did the apostle John give for his firm

conviction that Jesus was indeed the Messiah, the Son

of God?

What, to me, is the strongest evidence that Jesus was

what He claimed to be? On what is my faith based?

Can I be certain that my faith in Christ and in the Bible

as His message to men, is not a gross delusion?

"In the terrible persecution that fol-

lowed, the apostle John did much to

confirm and strengthen the faith of the

believers. He bore a testimony which

his adversaries could not controvert and

which helped his brethren to meet with

courage and loyalty the trials that came

upon them. When the faith of the Chris-

tians would seem to waver under the

fierce opposition they were forced to

meet, the old, tried servant of Jesus

would repeat with power and elo-

quence the story of the crucified and

risen Saviour. He steadfastly main-

tained his faith, and from his lips came

ever the same glad message: 'That

which was from the beginning, which

we have heard, which we have seen

with our eyes, which we have looked

upon, and our hands have handled, of

the Word of life; . . . that which we

have seen and heard declare we unto

you.'"—"The Acts of the Apostles,"

pages 568, 569.

Christ, the Messiah-1

LESSON 5



❑

Wednesday



Part 4



"We have not followed cunningly devised fables,

FULFILLED when we made known unto you the power and coming

PROPHECY of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His

majesty. For He received from God the Father honor and

glory, when there came such a voice to Him from the

excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am

well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven

we heard, when we were with Him in the holy mount.

We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto

ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth

in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the daystar



2 Peter 1:16-19



arise in your hearts."

Like John (see Part 3), Peter presents himself as an eye-

witness of the things he proclaimed concerning Jesus of Naza-

reth. He was there; he knew whereof he spoke. Whereas John

is content, in his epistle, to make a general statement to this

effect, Peter cites the outstanding incident in his association

with Christ that proved to him that Christ was divine—the

transfiguration on the mount. Read Matt. 17:1-8. With his

own eyes Peter had seen the celestial glory that radiated,

momentarily, from the person of Christ. With his own ears

he had heard the voice from heaven proclaiming Jesus to be

the Son of God. This, says Peter, confirmed the words of

the prophets of old and proved that the Messianic predictions

of the Old Testament had, indeed, met their fulfillment in

Christ.

To Peter, it was this correspondence between prophecy on

the one hand, and its fulfillment in history, on the other, that

provided conclusive, incontestable evidence of the Messiahship

of Jesus of Nazareth.

Sum up Peter's affirmation of faith in Jesus Christ as

the Messiah of whom the prophets of old had spoken.



THINK IT THROUGH



Is the evidence to which Peter points attesting the di-

vine origin of Christ as valid and convincing today as it

was in New Testament times?

Is evidence of Christ's Messiahship that Peter and John

did not have available to us today? What is the most con-

vincing evidence we can give a doubting world today of

the claims of the Christian faith?

"The apostle was well qualified to

speak of the purposes of God concern-

ing the human race; for during the

earthly ministry of Christ he had seen

and heard much that pertained to the

kingdom of God. 'We have not followed

cunningly devised fables,' he reminded

the believers, 'when we made known

unto you the power and coming of our

6—A.3Qt.70

Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewit-

nesses of His majesty.' ...

"Yet convincing as was this evidence

of the certainty of the believers' hope,

there was another still more convinc-

ing in the witness of prophecy, through

which the faith of all might be con-

firmed and securely anchored."—"The

Acts of the Apostles," page 534.

Christ, the Messiah-1

LESSON 5



❑

Thursday

Part 5



"Then He [Jesus] said unto them, 0 fools, and slow

CONVINCING of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:

EVIDENCE ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to

enter into His glory? And beginning at Moses and all the

prophets, He expounded unto them in all the Scriptures

the things concerning Himself."

"And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn

within us, while He talked with us by the way, and while

He opened to us the Scriptures?"

"And He said unto them, . . . All things must be ful-

filled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in

the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning Me. Then

opened He their understanding, that they might under-

stand the Scriptures, and said unto them, Thus it is writ-

Luke 24:25-27, ten, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from

32, 44-46 the dead the third day."

How we wish Luke had reported the passages of Scripture

to which Jesus pointed the two disciples on the road to Em-

maus, in proof that His life and ministry, and especially His

recent death and resurrection, were indeed a fulfillment of

prophecy! What a Bible reading that would make! Perhaps

in the glory land we can ask Jesus for a repeat performance

of that Bible study, which led its recipients later to comment

to one another, "Did not our heart burn within us, while He

talked with us by the way, and while He opened to us the

Scriptures?"

How did Jesus lift the gloom from the hearts and

minds of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, and

prepare them to understand and appreciate fully the per-

sonal evidence of the resurrection He presented to them

a little later?

THINK IT THROUGH

Which do you suppose was more convincing to the

disciples on the road to Emmaus, fulfilled prophecy or

their personal encounter with the risen Christ?

On what was the emotional experience ("Did not our

heart burn within us?") based? What lesson is there in

this relationship for us today?

"Beginning at Moses, the very Alpha

of Bible history, Christ expounded in

all the Scriptures the things concerning

Himself. Had He first made Himself

known to them, their hearts would have

been satisfied. In the fullness of their

joy they would have hungered for

nothing more. But it was necessary for

them to understand the witness borne

to Him by the types and prophecies of

the Old Testament. Upon these their

faith must be established."—"The De-

sire of Ages," pages 796, 799.

Christ, the Messiah—1

LESSON 5



❑

Friday



Part 6



"[God] hath saved us, and called us with an holy call-

PERSONAL ing, not according to our works, but according to His own

CONVICTION purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus

before the world began, but is now made manifest by

the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath

abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality

to light through the gospel."

"I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded

that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto

2 Tim. 1:9, 10, 12 Him against that day."

John, Peter, and the other apostles were eyewitnesses to the

life and ministry of Jesus, and their conviction that He was

all that He claimed to be was absolute. But can others who

have not had the privilege of personal association with Jesus

be equally convinced? Those who listened to the disciples tell

about Christ, and all since then, have had to take the word

of the disciples for it.

The experience of the apostle Paul in accepting Christ, and

his role as the great foreign missionary of New Testament

times as well as writer of a major part of the New Testament,

prove that a person who is not an eyewitness can be just as

certain about the gospel record as the eyewitnesses themselves

were. Thus Paul's emphatic declaration, "I know whom I have

believed," is fraught with meaning and assurance to us today.

Paul

knew.

So can we.

In what dramatic words did Paul affirm his own faith

and confidence in Christ and in the salvation He came

to make possible?



THINK IT THROUGH



On what basis can I be as sure about Christ and the

gospel as Paul was?

How can I convince others that what I believe is really

so and persuade them to believe also?

"The few Christians who accompa-

nied him to the place of execution he

endeavored to strengthen and encour-

age by repeating the promises given

for those who are persecuted for righ-

teousness' sake. He assured them that

nothing would fail of all that the Lord

had spoken concerning His tried and

faithful children. For a little season

they might be in heaviness through

manifold temptations; they might be

destitute of earthly comforts; but they

could encourage their hearts with the

assurance of God's faithfulness, saying,

'I know whom I have believed, and am

persuaded that He is able to keep that

which I have committed unto Him.' . . .

Soon the night of trial and suffering

would end, and then would dawn the

glad morning of peace and perfect

day."—"The Acts of the Apostles," page

511.

Christ, the Messiah-1

LESSON 5

Part 7 <> SUMMARY QUESTIONS <>

A TEST OF YOUR STUDY POWER

Now that you have studied this lesson you are invited to answer the fol-

lowing questions. Check your answers with the answers at the bottom of this

sheet.

Upon hearing John the Baptist identify Jesus as "the Lamb of God,"

Andrew went in search of his own brother, Simon Peter, and told him, "We

have found



The people of Nazareth were offended because:

(a)

Jesus never returned

to His hometown to preach and heal;

(b)

Jesus openly condemned them for

rejecting Him;

(c)

they knew His family and thought of Him as just another

townsman like themselves;

(d)

they were jealous of Him.

John presented himself as an



of the fact that Jesus

was indeed the Messiah, the Son of God.

True or False: In testifying of his own certainty about Jesus' being the

Messiah, Peter reports having heard a voice from heaven declaring Jesus to

be the Son of God



Complete: "Did not our



within us, while He



by the way, and while He opened to us

the



An important New Testament writer, not an eyewitness of the events

connected with the life and mission of Jesus, was:

(a)

Paul;

(b)

John;

(c)

Peter;

(d)

Matthew.

.n (9) :ssinldpps

'sn top& pante; 'uanq unstl (9) arm (

6) :ssauwnaAa (£)

3 (Z) :SEISSalk aql

(1) :siams•:y

LESSON 6

CHRIST, THE MESSIAH -2

"Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who

prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: searching what, or what

manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified

beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow." 1 Peter

1:10, 11.

"I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that

I am He." John 13:19.

The Lord gave Adam and Eve the first

cryptic promise of a Deliverer just before

He expelled them from the Garden of Eden.

Gen. 3:15. Enoch, and doubtless many

others not mentioned in Scripture, kept the

hope of redemption alive. Read Jude 14, 15.

Moses' prophecy concerning his own imme-

diate successor, who led Israel into the

Promised Land, was also a prediction of

Christ, who was destined to lead His peo-

ple of all ages into the heavenly Canaan.

Deut. 18:15; cf. Acts 3:22.

From that time forward the prophets

were led, sometimes clearly and sometimes

in cryptic language, to set forth every es-

sential fact concerning the person and mis-

sion of the Messiah. This lesson considers

the more important points of Messianic

prophecy.

LESSON OUTLINE

I. Divinity United With Humanity

Isa. 7:14; 9:6, 7

The Son of David

Jer. 23:5, 6

Place and Time of His Birth

Micah 5:2; Dan. 9:25

Objectives of Jesus' Ministry

Isa. 61:1-3

A Vicarious Sacrifice

Isa. 53:5-12

His Resurrection and Ascension

Ps. 16:10; 110:1

Christ, the Messiah-2

LESSON 6



❑

Sunday



Part 1



"Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and

DIVINITY UNITED shall call His name Immanuel."



WITH HUMANITY



"For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given:

and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His

name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty

God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the

increase of His government and peace there shall be no

end; upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to

order it, and to establish it with judgment and with

Isa. 7:14; 9:6, 7 justice from henceforth even forever."

The essential truth about Jesus Christ is the fact that, in

Him, divinity and humanity were united in one person. He

was God incarnate. This union was accomplished by providing

that a virgin should give birth to the Messiah. His divine

nature was in no way diminished by being united with human-

ity, nor was His humanity in any way diminished by being

united with divinity. The two natures were mysteriously blended

in one divine-human Person in such a way that each nature re-

tained its identity. Only thus could divinity enter directly into

the human experience. Only thus could His life be a perfect

example of what God would have us become. His death a

vicarious sacrifice in our stead, and His resurrection our guaran-

tee of eternal life.

The virgin birth of the Messiah as a human being with a

human mother, and His status as God, were both the subject

of prophecy. Both of these sublime facts are likewise attested

in the gospel record (Matt. 1:23; Luke 1:31-35) as having oc-

curred in the birth of Jesus.

At the same time, Christ's divine nature was veiled in His

humanity. He was tempted, and He overcame as a man, mak-

ing use of no attributes or powers not available to us. He

suffered and died as a man. Deity could not be tempted; Deity

could not die. But in the intimate association of the divine

and the human in Jesus Christ, Deity entered into close fel-

lowship with fallen humanity; and in Christ humanity, by

power from above, overcame temptation and triumphed over

death. Read Phil. 2:5-8; Heb. 2:14, 17; 4:15.

What sublime facts about the nature and person of

the coming Messiah were foretold by the prophet Isaiah

seven centuries before His coming?



THINK IT THROUGH



Why was it necessary that the Messiah be divine? Why

must He also be a human being? By what divine provi-

sion was it possible for both natures to be united in one

person?

From the union of the two natures in Christ, what can I

learn about my own relationship to God?

"Was the human nature of the Son dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead

of Mary changed into the divine nature bodily."—Ellen G. White Comments,

of the Son of God? No; the two natures "SDA Bible Commentary," Vol. 5, p.

were mysteriously blended in one 1113.

person—the Man Christ Jesus. In Him

Christ, the Messiah-2

LESSON 6



❑

Monday



Part 2



"Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I well

THE SON OF DAVID raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall

reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and jus-

tice in the earth. In His days Judah shall be saved, and

Israel shall dwell safely: and this is His name whereby

Jer. 23:5, 6 •He shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS."

When He selected David to be king over Israel, the Lord

chose "a man after His own heart." 1 Sam. 13:14; Acts 13:22.

David made mistakes, some of them grievous indeed, but when

called to account for them he manifested a humble, contrite

heart and repented of his evil deeds. Read 2 Sam. 11:1 to

12:14; Psalm 51. Such a spirit "is in the sight of God of great

price" (1 Peter 3:4), and God is able to "dwell . . . with him

also that is of a contrite and humble spirit" (Isa. 57:15) de-

spite his mistakes. With God the attitude, the spirit, the intent

of the heart is more

important than the overt act because, when

a man has the right frame of mind and heart, divine power

can unite with human effort to transform the life.

With such a spirit, David became an able ruler of God's

people, despite his mistakes, and thus also a type of the Mes-

siah as ruler of all God's people throughout eternal ages. Ac-

cordingly, God promised to "stablish the throne of His king-

dom forever" (2 Sam. 7:13), a promise yet to meet its complete

fulfillment in the eternal reign of Jesus Christ as Lord.

What prophecy of Jeremiah is significant with respect

to the Messiah in His role as Lord over the people of God?



THINK IT THROUGH



In what respects was David an appropriate prototype

of the Messiah? What connection is there between the

Messiah's being a son of David, and His being called

"The Lord our righteousness"?

What practical lessons are there for me in the rela-

tionship David sustained to God?

"The Pharisees had gathered close

about Jesus as He answered the ques-

tion of the scribe. Now turning He put

a question to them: 'What think ye of

Christ? whose son is He?' This question

was designed to test their belief con-

cerning the Messiah,—to show whether

they regarded Him simply as a man or

as the Son of God. A chorus of voices

answered, 'The Son of David.' This was

the title which prophecy had given to

the Messiah. When Jesus revealed His

divinity by His mighty miracles, when

He healed the sick and raised the dead,

the people had inquired among them-

selves, 'Is not this the Son of David?'

... But many who called Jesus the Son

of David did not recognize His divinity.

They did not understand that the Son

of David was also the Son of God."—

"The Desire of Ages," pages 608, 609.

Christ, the Messiah-2

LESSON 6



❑

Tuesday

Part 3

PLACE AND TIME

OF HIS BIRTH

Micah 5:2;

Dan. 9:25

THINK IT THROUGH

"But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little

among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall

He come forth unto Me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose

goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting."

"Know therefore and understand, that from the going

forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jeru-

salem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks,

and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built

again, and the wall, even in troublous times."

The time and place of Messiah's birth were both subjects

of prophecy. Micah foretold the place where He was to be

born, and Daniel the approximate time. Inasmuch as Messiah

was to be known as "the Son of David" and to sit upon the

throne of David, it was appropriate that he should be born in

Bethlehem, the City of David. But, though Jesus was to be

born in Bethlehem, Micah emphatically affirms His eternal

preexistence.

According to Daniel, Messiah was to appear at the close of

"seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks" of years, or

sixty-nine weeks of years (69 x 7), or 483 years "from the

going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jeru-

salem." The effective decree that resulted in the complete res-

toration of Jerusalem was that issued by Artaxerxes, king of

Persia, in the seventh year of his reign (read Ezra 7:1, 8, 11,

13), or 457 B.c. Four hundred eighty-three years from 457 B.C.

brings us to A.D. 27, in which year Christ entered upon His

public ministry. Thirty was the age at which it was customary,

among the Jews, for a person to enter public service. See

Num. 4:3 ; 1 Chron. 23:3. Jesus doubtless had this prophecy

of Daniel in mind when He declared, "The time is fulfilled, and

the kingdom of God is at hand." Mark 1:15; compare Gal. 4:4.

In what words did the prophets foretell the place and

the approximate time when Messiah was to be born and

enter upon His ministry?

Why had inspiration specified the time and place of

Messiah's birth?

Paul declares that Jesus came "in the fullness of the

time."

In what sense was "the time" "full" when Jesus came

the first time?

"The burden of Christ's preaching

was, 'The time is fulfilled, and the king-

dom of God is at hand: repent ye, and

believe the gospel.' Thus the gospel

message, as given by the Saviour Him-

self, was based on the prophecies. The

'time' which He declared to be fulfilled

was the period made known .by the

angel Gabriel to Daniel. . . . The com-

mandment to restore and build Jerusa-

lem, as completed by the decree of Ar-

taxerxes Longimanus (see Ezra 6:14;

7:1, 9, margin), went into effect in the

autumn of B.C. 457. From this time four

hundred and eighty-three years extend

to the autumn of A.D. 27. According to

the prophecy, this period was to reach

to the Messiah, the Anointed One."—

"The Desire of Ages," page 233.

Christ, the Messiah

LESSON 6



❑

Wednesday



Part 4



"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me; because the

OBJECTIVES OF Lord hath anointed Me to preach good tidings unto the

JESUS' MINISTRY meek; He hath sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to

proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the

prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable

year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God;

to comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto them that

mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the

oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the

spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of

righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might



Isa. 61:1-3



be glorified."

Jesus chose this passage of Isaiah as the text for His first

recorded sermon, in the synagogue of Nazareth at the begin-

ning of His Galilean ministry. After reading it, He announced,

"This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears." Luke 4:21.

The theme of Jesus' message was, "The kingdom of heaven is

at hand" (Matt. 4:17), by which He referred to the kingdom

of divine grace in the hearts of men.

This was the "good tidings," the good news or gospel, that

Jesus brought to all who would listen. He came to proclaim

liberty to those whom Satan held captive in the prison house

of sin; there was freedom for all who wanted to escape. He

came to announce the "acceptable year" of salvation, the day

of grace for all who would accept it. Jesus came to bind up

those who, upon hearing the gospel, were brokenhearted over

their sins, to comfort those who mourned for the wrong they

had done, and to plant them as "trees of righteousness" in the

garden of divine grace. Compare Psalm 1.

In your own words, summarize Isaiah's prediction of

the nature of Christ's message and the purpose of His

ministry.



THINK IT THROUGH



To what extent should I endeavor to make the objec-

tives of Christ's ministry the objectives of my own life?

How can I order my life so that it will follow more

closely the pattern of His perfect life of service for others?

"Jesus stood before the people as a

living expositor of the prophecies con-

cerning Himself. Explaining the words

He had read, He spoke of the Messiah

as a reliever of the oppressed, a libera-

tor of captives, a healer of the afflicted,

restoring sight to the blind, and reveal-

ing to the world the light of truth. His

impressive manner and the wonderful

7—A.3Qt.70

import of His words thrilled the hearers

with a power they had never felt be-

fore. The tide of divine influence broke

every barrier down; like Moses, they

beheld the Invisible. As their hearts

were moved upon by the Holy Spirit,

they responded with fervent amens and

praises to the Lord."—"The Desire of

Ages," page 237.

Christ, the Messiah-2

LESSON 6



❑

Thursday



Part 5



"He was wounded for our transgressions, He was

A VICARIOUS bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace

SACRIFICE was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed. All

we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every-

one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the

iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and He was afflicted,

yet He opened not His mouth: He is brought as a lamb

to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is

dumb, so He openeth not His mouth. . . . For He was cut

off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of

my people was He stricken.... Thou shalt make His soul

an offering for sin. . . . By His knowledge shall My righ-

teous Servant justify many; for He shall bear their iniq-

uities. . . . He hath poured out His soul unto death: and

He was numbered with the transgressors; and He bare

the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgres-



Isa. 53:5-12



sors."

THINK IT THROUGH

The sublime beauty of Isaiah's word portrait of the suffering

Servant of God is a literary as well as a spiritual masterpiece.

Read from the preceding chapter Isaiah's introduction (Isa.

52:7-15) to the fifty-third chapter. There the Messenger of the

Lord bursts upon the scene like a courier arriving in haste with

good news—"good tidings" of "peace" and "salvation" (verse

7) addressed to all men everywhere (verse 10). He would

prosper as God's appointed Ambassador to earth (verse 13),

but would also suffer "more than the sons of men" are called

upon to suffer (verse 14).

Isaiah stresses the vicarious nature of Christ's sacrifice. In

one way or another this refrain is repeated again and again

in Isaiah 53. See how many times you can find this aspect of

Christ's sacrifice mentioned, and note the different forms in

which it is expressed.

What aspects of Messiah's sufferings and death are

graphically portrayed by the prophet Isaiah?

Why was it necessary for the Messiah to die on my

behalf? Could God not have devised some other plan?

How can it be fair for one person to suffer for another's

wrongdoing, and how can God accept Jesus' death in

place of the death I ought to die for my sins?

What hints can you find in Isaiah 53 of the resurrec-

tion and priestly ministry of Christ in heaven after His

ascension?

"Christ was treated as we deserve,

that we might be treated as He de-

serves. He was condemned for our sins,

in which He had no share, that we

might be justified by His righteousness,

in which we had no share. He suffered

the death which was ours, that we

might receive the life which was His.

'With His stripes we are healed.'"—

"The Desire of Ages," page 25.

Christ, the Messiah-2

LESSON 6



❑

Friday



Part 6



"Thou wilt not leave My soul in hell; neither wilt Thou

HIS' RESURRECTION suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption."



AND ASCENSION



"The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit Thou at My right



Ps. 16:10; 110:1



hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool."

The inspired writers of the New Testament have picked up

both of these passages from the Psalms and applied them to the

resurrection of Christ from the grave, and to His exalted posi-

tion in heaven following His ascension. Read Acts 2:25-32;

Heb. 1:13. Isaiah foretold that after Messiah's death. He would'

"see His seed," that is, "see of the travail of His soul" and

"be satisfied" (Isa. 53:10-12). He would "prolong His days,"

or live on after death. Having borne the iniquities of His people

in His death, He would "justify many" and make "intercession

for the transgressors."

In the Bible "my soul," as used in Ps. 16:10,. means "me."

"Soul" is often substituted for the personal pronoun and is

so translated in modern translations such as

The Torah,

a Jew-

ish version issued by the Jewish Publication Society of Amer-

ica, that reflects the best contemporary Jewish scholarship. The

word "hell" means the grave,, or abode of the dead. Speaking

on the Day of Pentecost, Peter placed the words of Ps. 16:10

in the mouth of Christ, as a prediction .that He would rise

from the dead.

The writer of Hebrews (Heb. 1:13) attributes the word's of

Ps. 110:1 to God the Father at the enthronement of Christ as

High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary. Read Heb. 2:1; 10:20-22.

In what cryptic word's does the psalmist foretell the

resurrection of our Lord and His exalted position in

heaven following the ascension?



THINK IT THROUGH



How was the assurance that Jesus would not "see cor-

ruption" fulfilled in the experience of His death and

resurrection?

Is Christ's relationship to the Father and to the uni-

verse now any different from what it was before the

incarnation?

"The intercession of Christ in man's

behalf in the sanctuary above is as

essential to the plan of salvation as

was His death upon the cross. By His

death He began that work which after

His resurrection He ascended to com-

plete in heaven. We must by faith enter

within the veil, 'whither the Forerunner

is for us entered.' . . . There the light

from the cross of Calvary is reflected.

There we may gain a clearer insight

into the mysteries of redemption. The

salvation of man is accomplished at an

infinite expense to heaven; the sacrifice

made is equal to the broadest demands

of the broken law of God. Jesus has

opened the way to the Father's throne,

and through His mediation the sincere

desire of all who come to Him in faith

may be presented before God."—"The

Great Controversy," page 489.

Christ, the Messiah-2

LESSON 6

Part 7 G SUMMARY QUESTIONS G A TEST OF YOUR STUDY POWER

Now that you have studied this lesson you are invited to answer the fol-

lowing questions. Check your answers with the answers at the bottom of this

sheet.

One prophet who foretold the Messiah would be a divine Being was:

(a)

Moses, (b) Isaiah,

(c)

Micah,

(d)

Daniel



Complete: The affectionate title, Son of



, pointed to the

Messiah as Lord and King over His people.

True or False: Nazareth was pointed out in prophecy as the place where

Messiah was to be born



Complete: "The Lord hath anointed Me to preach



to the meek; He hath sent Me to bind up the



to pro-

claim



to the captives, and the opening of the



to them that are bound."

Complete: "He is brought as a



to the slaughter, and as a



before her



is dumb, so He openeth

not His mouth."

Complete: "Thou wilt not leave My



; neither

wilt Thou suffer Thine Holy One to see



•

uopdniioa 'Hat/ 'mos (9) :slamays 'damp

'gum/

(s)

!uospd 'Apacill Vapeaquagoaq ‘s2uTpi3

pool

(q) !asp; (c)

:P ea (c)

:q (I) :ssamsuy

CHRIST, OUR MEDIATOR

"Wherefore in all things it behooved Him to be made like unto His brethren,

that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God,

to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself hath

suffered being tempted, He is able to succor them that are tempted." Heb. 2:

17, 18.

LESSON OUTLINE

Sin came into the world as a result of

Adam's transgression, and death as a result

of sin. Read Rom. 5:8-10, 18. Man was

estranged from God, and in his perverted,

sinful nature had no desire to be reconciled

to God. Unless God took an effective ini-

tiative, the separation would be eternal.

Thus it was that Deity stooped to take on

the nature of fallen humanity, in order that

He might effectively represent God to us,

and that in His human nature He might

represent our plight to the Father and rec-

oncile us to God. He came to this earth as

God's ambassador of peace to fallen hu-

manity and returned to heaven as our am-

bassador at the throne of the universe.

God's Concern for Sinners

John 3:16, 17

God With Us

Matt. 1:21-23

Justification and Reconciliation

Rom. 5:8-10, 12, 18

Our Great High Priest

Heb. 2:14, 15, 17, 18

Jesus Intercedes for Us

Heb. 7:24, 25

In Time of Need

Heb. 4:14-16

Christ, Our Mediator

LESSON 7



❑

Sunday

Part 1



"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only-

GOD'S CONCERN begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should

FOR SINNERS not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not

His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that

John 3:16, 17 the world through Him might be saved."

How fitting that God in His mercy did not abandon the

human family to the results of its evil choice! How fitting that

deep in the heart of the Creator was a yearning for His erring,

earthborn children! How thankful we can be that while "to

err is human, to forgive {is] divine."

God's love for lost humanity consists in infinite compassion

for man and concern for his eternal happiness and well-being.

He might properly have sent His Son into the world to con-

demn the world for its rebellion, but He did not do so. Justice

would have approved of such a course of action, but mercy

not so. Though it appeared that all was lost, divine wisdom

knew that there was still hope, yes certainty, that some at

least might yet be saved. To all the universe, throughout all

eternity, the most sublime facet of the divine character is

revealed through the plan of salvation—mercy, the supreme

demonstration of love. This abiding confidence in the infinite

goodness of God will safeguard the universe against the plague

of sin ever breaking out again.

God provided a way of escape from the death grip of sin,

but divine wisdom provided that every man should make his

own decision as to whether he would accept the gift of infinite

grace. Satan made death inevitable by taking from man the

power of choice; Christ made life possible by restoring to man

the power to choose between death and life.

With what alternatives did the entrance of sin into

this world confront God? With what alternative did the

entrance of Christ into the world confront lost sinners?

How can God be strictly just, yet merciful at the same

time? Is God less just because He has chosen to be merci-

ful?

In the end, will the eventual exercise of divine justice

in any way diminish God's mercy? Are justice and mercy

perhaps two facets of the same divine attribute? Which

attribute?

THINK IT THROUGH

"Satan in heaven had hated Christ

for His position in the courts of God. He

hated Him the more when he himself

was dethroned. He hated Him who

pledged Himself to redeem a race of

sinners. Yet into the world where Satan

claimed dominion God permitted His

Son

to come, a helpless babe, subject

to the weakness of humanity. He per-

mitted Him to meet life's peril in com-

mon with every human soul, to fight

the battle as every child of humanity

must fight it, at the risk of failure and

eternal loss."—"The Desire of Ages,"

page 49.

Christ, Our Mediator

LESSON 7



❑

Monday



Part 2



"She [Mary] shall bring forth a Son, and thou [Joseph]

GOD WITH US shalt call His name Jesus: for He shall save His people

from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be

fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet,

saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall

bring forth a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel,

Matt. 1:21-23 which being interpreted is, God with us."

The names "Jesus" and "Immanuel" express the purpose of

the Saviour's mission to earth. "Immanuel" is a transliteration

of the Hebrew meaning "God with us." The name "Jesus" is

also from the Hebrew, and means "the Lord will save." In the

person of Jesus of Nazareth, God came into intimate associa-

tion with His people on earth. He was not content to be for-

ever estranged from them, but came to make peace. Think of

it! The infinite God desires the companionship of beings who

have revolted against Him! He came to be with us, to save

us from our sins and to qualify us for restoration to the family

in heaven.

Isaiah's prophecy that a young woman would bear a child

(read Isa. 7:14), which originally expressed God's purpose to

be with His people Israel in their confrontation with the

Syrian hosts, is clothed by the angel who came to Joseph with

the higher spiritual significance that, in our confrontation with

Satan and the hosts of evil, God came, in the person of Jesus

Christ, to be with us and to rescue us from his power. The

earlier, historical experience was fulfilled—filled with a fuller

meaning—when the Son of God took upon Himself the nature

of mankind.

What name and what title were given the Saviour by

the angel who appeared to Joseph, and how does he

explain their meaning?



THINK IT THROUGH



Why do the Scriptures use so many different names

and titles in referring to Christ?

How did Jesus, in His person, life, and ministry, im-

part to various incidents and statements of the Old Testa-

ment more meaning than they had originally?

"In the place where sin abounded,

God's grace much more abounds. The

earth itself, the very field that Satan

claims as his, is to be not only ran-

somed but exalted. Our little world,

under the curse of sin the one dark

blot in His glorious creation, will be

honored above all other worlds in the

universe of God. Here, where the Son

of God tabernacled in humanity; where

the

King of glory lived and suffered

and died,—here, when He shall make

all things new, the tabernacle of God

shall be with men, 'and He will dwell

with them, and they shall be His peo-

ple, and God Himself shall be with

them, and be their God.' And through

endless ages as the redeemed walk in

the light of the Lord, they will praise

Him for His unspeakable Gift,—IMMAN-

UEL, 'GOD WITH US.' "—"The Desire of

Ages," page 26.

Christ, Our Mediator

LESSON 7



Tuesday



Part 3



"God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while

JUSTIFICATION AND we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then,

RECONCILIATION being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from

wrath through Him. For if, when we were enemies, we

were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much

more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life."

"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world,

and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for

that all have sinned."

"Even so by the righteousness of One the free gift

Rom. 5: 8-10, 12, 18 came upon all men unto justification of life."

Paul argues the justice of God in accepting the death of

one person—Jesus Christ—on behalf of the entire human race,

on the basis that the entire race had fallen into sin as the result

of the wrong choice of one other person, Adam. If all men

could become sinners as a result of Adam's sin, then it is

right and proper that all men can become righteous through

the gift of divine grace in the person of Jesus Christ. "God

commendeth his love toward us, . . . while we were yet sin-

ners," by sending Christ to die for us.

If Christ died for us while we were still enemies of God,

with no desire to be reconciled to God, surely, having been

reconciled to God by that infinite sacrifice, we can with all

confidence believe that He will rescue us from death, which

is the result of sin.

As a result of Adam's sin all men inherited a sinful nature.

But by their own choice this sinful nature has involved all men

in sin.

In your own words, summarize Paul's argument about

the justice of God in granting divine amnesty to all re-

pentant sinners.



THINK IT THROUGH



What is the difference, if any, between



cil

and justification? Does one precede the other, or are they

simultaneous?

What evidence do I have that I, personally, have been

reconciled to God?

How does Christ's death on the cross reconcile us to

God?

"Not because we first loved Him did

Christ love us; but 'while we were yet

sinners' He died for us. He does not

treat us according to our desert. Al-

though our sins have merited condem-

nation, He does not condemn us. Year

after year He has borne with our weak-

ness and ignorance, with our ingrati-

tude and waywardness. Notwithstand-

ing our wanderings, our hardness of

heart, our neglect of His Holy Word,

His hand is stretched out still.

"Grace is an attribute of God exer-

cised toward undeserving human be-

ings. We did not seek for it, but it was

sent in search of us. God rejoices to be-

stow His grace upon us, not because

we are worthy, but because we are so

utterly unworthy. Our only claim to His

mercy is our great need."—"The Min-

istry of Healing," page

161.

Christ, Our Mediator

LESSON 7



❑

Wednesday



Part 4



"Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh

OUR GREAT and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same;

HIGH PRIEST that through death He might destroy him that had the

power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who

through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to

bondage."

"Wherefore in all things it behooved Him to be made

like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and

faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make

reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that He

Himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to suc-

Heb. 2:14, 15, 17, 18 cor them that are tempted."

By taking upon Himself humanity, the Son of God identified

with the human race. For the duration of His mission to earth

He laid aside the prerogatives of Deity (Phil. 2:5-8) ; He "emp-

tied himself," as the Greek of Phil. 2:7 reads literally, and

came to live as a man, with a human body, a human nature,

and human frailties and limitations. In His confrontations with

the tempter He relied on the same help from above that is

available to us. He never performed a miracle to benefit Him-

self. There was no make-believe about His struggle with the

enemy ; He was tempted, and He suffered as He struggled

against His wily foe.

The Saviour chose to meet the tempter as we must meet

him, in order that He might be able to help us when we are

tempted. Now, as a merciful and faithful High Priest, He is

our representative before God, in order that He may recon-

cile us to God. He was made like us in all things, in order

that He might become our representative, in all things, before

the Father.

In what ways did Jesus identify Himself with human-

ity? Why?



THINK IT THROUGH



Knowing all things, why could the Son of God not have

become "a merciful and faithful High Priest" and "make

reconciliation for the sins of the people" without a per-

sonal encounter with temptation?

Did Jesus meet temptation in His divine nature or in

His human nature?

"Would that we could comprehend

the significance of the words, Christ

'suffered, being tempted.' While He was

free from the taint of sin, the refined

sensibilities of His holy nature rendered

contact with evil unspeakably painful

Him. Yet

with human nature upon

Him, He met the archapostate face to

face, and single-handed withstood the

foe of His throne. Not even by a

thought could Christ be brought to yield

to the power of temptation.

"Satan finds in human hearts some

point where he can gain a foothold;

some sinful desire is cherished, by

means of which his temptations assert

their power. But Christ declared of

Himself, 'The prince of this world com-

eth, and hath nothing in Me.' The

storms of temptation burst upon Him,

but they could not cause Him to swerve

from His allegiance to God."—Ellen G.

White Comments, "SDA Bible Commen-

tary," Vol. 7, p. 927.

Christ, Our Mediator

LESSON 7



❑

Thursday



Part 5



"But this Man [Jesus], because He continueth ever,

JESUS INTERCEDES hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore He is able

FOR US also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by

Heb. 7:24, 25 Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them."

The writer of the book of Hebrews has been comparing the

priesthood of Christ with that of the ancient Levitical system.

Writing to the Hebrew people, who understood and esteemed

the Levitical system and priesthood, he sought to create in

their minds an understanding and appreciation of the infinite

superiority of Christ's priesthood and a desire for participation

in its benefits. The great advantage of Christ's priesthood, he

says, is its permanence and reliability. "By reason of death,"

the Levitical priests were prevented from continuing their

ministry. In contrast, Jesus "ever liveth to make intercession"

for all who "come unto God by Him." He is always accessible

when we need Him, and He is able to save "to the uttermost."

Human language reflects eternal realities imperfectly at best.

The word "intercession" may seem to imply that God the

Father is not kindly disposed toward us (compare John 3:16),

and that were it not for Jesus' persuasiveness He would deal

harshly with us, as we deserve. Not so. Sin separated the human

family from God, for sin cannot live in the sight of a holy

God. But God, who loves us with an everlasting love, does not

need to be reconciled to us; we stand in need of being recon-

ciled to Him.

Point out two great benefits that are ours through the

priestly ministry of Jesus Christ.



THINK IT THROUGH



Whether in the ancient Levitical system or in Christ's

ministry on our behalf, why is a priest necessary? Why

can we not each one be his own priest before God?

"Christ as High Priest within the veil

so immortalized Calvary, that though

He liveth unto God, He dies continually

to sin and thus if any man sin, he has

an Advocate with the Father. He arose

from the tomb enshrouded with a cloud

of angels in wondrous power and

glory,—the Deity and humanity com-

bined. He took in His grasp the world

over which Satan claimed to preside as

his lawful territory, and by His won-

derful work in giving His life, He re-

stored the whole race of men to favor

with God. The songs of triumph echoed

and re-echoed through the worlds. An-

gel and archangel, cherubim and sera-

phim, sang the triumphant song at the

amazing achievement."—Ellen G. White,

Manuscript 50, quoted in "Questions on

Doctrine," page 689.

Christ, Our Mediator

LESSON 7



❑

Friday



Part 6



"Seeing then that we have a great High Priest, that

IN TIME OF NEED is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us

hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest

which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmi-

ties; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet

without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne

of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to



Heb. 4:14-16



help in time of need."

We have no reason for hesitation in approaching the throne

of grace. Those who fall into sin and are sorry need sym-

pathetic understanding, and the writer of the book of Hebrews

here assures all who read that they need have no fear of a

cold, harsh, severe reception when they return to God. Jesus

is "touched with the feeling of our infirmities" because He

knows from personal experience what it is to be tempted.

Furthermore, there is no point on which we can be tempted

that He did not experience, and no sin into which we may fall

for which His experience and sympathetic understanding are

inadequate. When we have sinned—literally, fallen short of

the mark at which we are aiming—we need forgiveness first

of all. But we also need strength and courage to go and "sin no

more," that is, to overcome next time where we fell short this

time. Read John 5:14.

As our High Priest, Christ provides for both of these needs:

(1)

"We may obtain mercy," or forgiveness for our sins, and

(2)

we may "find grace to help in time of need," that is, the

grace of Christ to enable us to overcome as He overcame. It is

the Saviour's purpose not only to forgive us our sins when

we confess them, but "to cleanse us from all unrighteousness,"

includin

g the natural tendencies and weaknesses that lead us

into sin when we are tempted. 1 John 1:9.

What two great benefits may be ours when we come

to the throne of divine grace?



THINK IT THROUGH



Is there any temptation I have to meet that Christ did

not have to meet when on earth?

What does it mean to "hold fast our profession"? How

is this related to the invitation to come to the throne of

grace?

"Christ glorified not Himself in being

made High Priest. God gave Him His

appointment to the priesthood. He was

to be an example to all the human fam-

ily. He qualified Himself to be, not only

the representative of the race, but their

Advocate, so that every soul if he will

may say, I have a Friend at court. He

is a High Priest that can be touched

with the feelings of our infirmities."—

Ellen G. White Comments, "SDA Bible

Commentary," Vol. 7, p. 930.

Christ, Our Mediator

LESSON 7

Part 7

SUMMARY QUESTIONS

A TEST OF YOUR STUDY POWER

Now that you have studied this lesson you are invited to answer the fol-

lowing questions. Check your answers with the answers at the bottom of this

sheet.

What was necessary on God's part to make salvation available to us?



What is necessary on our part before it becomes

ours)



True or False: The name Immanuel means, "the Lord will save "



Complete: "By

sin entered into the world, and



by sin; and so



passed upon all men, for that

all have sinned."

Which of the following is

not

mentioned in Heb. 2:14, 15, 17, 18 as a

benefit derived from the incarnation of Christ:

(a)

deliverance from the fear

of death,

(b)

reconciliation with God,

(c)

succor in temptation,

(d)

hope

of the resurrection



Complete: "He is able also to save them to the



that

come unto God by Him, seeing He



for them."

True or False: To "obtain mercy" means to receive forgiveness for sins we

have committed



utt.0 (9) :uoTssana4u! anetil



tilang Jana `;soup

-1a4in (9)

`•p

(q) itpsap Veap `treuz auo (E) !asp;

(r)

!anaHaq '40 s,pog Jo 'anoi (I) :saantsuy

LESSON 8

CHRIST: SERVANT OF MAN'S NECESSITY

"I am the living Bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this

bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give is My flesh, which

I will give for the life of the world." John 6:51.

LESSON OUTLINE

Though He was Lord of all, Jesus pre-

sented Himself to the people of His day as

God's Servant sent to minister to man's

many needs. "He that is greatest among

you shall be your servant," Jesus told the

Pharisees. Matt. 23:11. "Whosoever will be

chief among you, let him be your servant,"

He counseled His disciples. Matt. 20:27.

This lesson highlights some of the ways

in which the Saviour gave Himself to meet

man's need. The ultimate test of Christ's

mission to earth is the degree to which He

met the needs of men. Similarly, the test

of our lives is the degree to which we serve

our fellowmen.

The Bread of Life

John 6:48-51

Sins Forgiven

Mark 2:5-11

Miracles Attest Jesus'

Messiahship

John 20:30, 31

The Living Christ

John 10:17, 18

Many Reject Jesus

John 6:51, 52, 60, 66

There Is No Alternative

John 6:67-69

Christ: Servant of Man's Necessity

LESSON 8



❑

Sunday



Part 1



"I am that Bread of Life. Your fathers did eat manna

THE BREAD OF LIFE in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which

cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof,

and not die. I am the living Bread which came down

from heaven: if any man eat of this Bread, he shall live

forever: and the bread that I will give is My flesh, which



John 6:48-51



I will give for the life of the world."

Christ addressed these words to people who, the day before,

had been among the five thousand He fed miraculously and

who had then been ready to acclaim Him as the Messiah and

crown Him King of Israel. Read verses 14, 15, 22. They con-

ceived of Him as a political Messiah, however, and intended

to make Him their leader in overthrowing the Roman power

and liberating their nation.

In providing the throng with literal food, Jesus had been

ministering to a genuine human need. The people had come

from a distance to hear Him speak. They were hungry, and

there was nothing to eat. By this miracle Jesus sought to direct

their minds to the spiritual food He was offering them. Spiri-

tually, they were far from their Father's home, and their

vaguely felt spiritual hunger made them eager for the spiritual

food with which He provided them that day.

Both the literal food and the spiritual fare were from His

Father's table. Jesus gave them a taste of both, in the hope

that their desire for more would lead them back from the far

country, in which they were largely unmindful of spiritual

things, to their Father's home where there was plenty.

By what practical illustration did Jesus explain the

purpose of His mission to earth? To what two advantage;

of this did Jesus point their minds?

THINK IT THROUGH



Why did Jesus, at this point in His discourse, refer to

the manna in the wilderness?

What similarities and differences are there between

the manna and the food with which Jesus had provided

them, and the spiritual food He sought to give them?

In what sense is Jesus' "flesh" the "bread" He offered

the people?

"As our physical life is sustained by

food, so our spiritual life is sustained

by the Word of God. And every soul is

to receive life from God's Word for

himself. As we must eat for ourselves

in order to receive nourishment, so we

must receive the Word for ourselves.

We are not to obtain it merely

through the medium of another's mind.

We should carefully study the Bible,

asking God for the aid of the Holy

Spirit, that we may understand His

Word. We should take one verse, and

concentrate the mind on the task of

ascertaining the thought which God has

put in that verse for us. We should

dwell upon the thought until it becomes

our own, and we know 'what saith the

Lord." "—"The Desire of Ages," page

390.

Christ: Servant of Man's Necessity

LESSON 8



❑

Monday

Part 2



"When Jesus saw their faith, He said unto the sick of

SINS FORGIVEN the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. But there were

certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their

hearts, Why doth this Man thus speak blasphemies? who

can forgive sins but God only? And immediately when

Jesus perceived in His spirit that they so reasoned within

themselves, He said unto them, Why reason ye these

things in your hearts? Whether is it easier to say to the

sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say,

Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk? But that ye may

know that the Son of man hath power on earth to for-

give sins, (He saith to the sick of the palsy,) I say unto

thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into

Mark 2:5-11 thine house."

THINK IT THROUGH

Man needs not only food to sustain life, but physical heal-

ing as well, for disease often fastens upon him. The same is true

of man's spiritual life. He needs healing from the wounds

sin has inflicted, and from the virus of sin that infects his

life. As Jesus taught a spiritual lesson from the physical food

with which He had provided them (Part 1), He now draws

a lesson from the act of physical healing He is about to per-

form.

Only God can forgive sins. Had Jesus been merely a man,

the unspoken complaint of the scribes would have been justified.

He would have been guilty of blasphemy. But, because Jesus

was divine as well as human, He had the right and the power,

even on earth, to forgive men their sins. Read John 1:29;

1 John 1:7. The refusal of the scribes to recognize Jesus as

divine prompted the suggestion that His forgiving of sins was

an act of blasphemy.

In what incident, and by what means, did Jesus dem-

onstrate the nature of sin and forgiveness?

Read once more Mark's account of the healing of the

paralyzed man let down through the roof, looking for

points in the man's illness and his healing that illustrate

the nature of sin and Heaven's provision for release

from it.

What point in the narrative helps you most to under-

stand your relationship to God, and how to relate to sin

and divine forgiveness in your own life?

"The paralytic found in Christ heal-

ing for both the soul and the body. The

spiritual healing was followed by phys-

ical restoration. This lesson should not

be overlooked. There are today thou-

sands suffering from physical disease,

who, like the paralytic, are longing for

the message, 'Thy sins are forgiven.'

The burden of sin, with its unrest and

unsatisfied desires, is the foundation

of their maladies. They can find no re-

lief until they come to the Healer of

the soul. The peace which He alone can

give would impart vigor to the mind,

and health to the body."—"The Desire

of Ages," page 270.

Christ: Servant of Mart's Necessity

LESSON 8



❑

Tuesday

THINK IT THROUGH

"Many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of

His disciples, which are not written in this book: but these

are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ,

the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life

through His name."

Each of Jesus' miracles was His response to a real, imme-

diate human need. He never performed a miracle just to prove

that He could do so; and when Herod asked for one to satisfy

his curiosity, Jesus refused—even though this would, presum-

ably, have procured His release and averted His crucifixion.

Luke 23:8, 9. When asked for a "sign" (a miracle), which Jesus'

critics presumably offered to accept as evidence of His Messiah-

ship and of His authority for deeds such as the cleansing of

the temple, Jesus refused. Read Matt. 12:38, 39; John 2:18;

6:30, 31; Mark 8:11, 12.

Jesus' miracles were also a means of teaching spiritual truth.

For instance, the miracle of the loaves and the fishes taught a

lesson about spiritual food, particularly about Jesus Himself

as the Bread of Life. By the healing of the paralyzed man let

down through the roof, Jesus illustrated spiritual restoration.

By healing the man born blind, He taught the importance of

spiritual eyesight.

Most important of all, the miracles attested Jesus' Messiah-

ship and affixed to His message and mission the approval of

Heaven. He called on His disciples to believe Him "for the

very works' sake." Read John 14:10, 11. On the Day of Pente-

cost, Peter declared that Jesus was "approved of God among

you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by Him

in the midst of you." Acts 2:22.

How does John state Jesus' purpose in the many

miracles He performed?

Would the world be impressed by miracles today as

the people of Jesus' day were?

Should we expect miracles today? Under what circum-

stances and conditions might we expect God to work in

extraordinary ways?

Part 3

MIRACLES ATTEST

JESUS' MESSIAHSHIP

John 20:30, 31

"Every miracle that Christ performed

was a sign of His divinity. He was do-

ing the very work that had been fore-

told of the Messiah; but to the Pharisees

these works of mercy were a positive

offense. The Jewish leaders looked with

heartless indifference on human suffer-

ing. In many cases their selfishness and

oppression had caused the affliction

that Christ relieved. Thus His miracles

were to them a reproach.

"That which led the Jews to reject

the Saviour's work was the highest

evi-

dence

of His divine character. The

greatest significance of His miracles is

seen in the fact that they were for the

blessing of humanity. The highest evi-

dence that He came from God is that

His life revealed the character of God.

He did the works and spoke the words

of God. Such a life is the greatest of

all miracles."—"The Desire of Ages,"

pages 406, 407.

Christ: Servant of Man's Necessity

LESSON 8



❑

Wednesday



Part 4



"Therefore doth My Father love Me, because I lay

THE LIVING CHRIST down My life, that I might take it again. No man taketh

it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to

lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This com-

John 10:17, 18 mandment have I received of My Father."

Of the Son of God coming to this world John wrote, "In

Him was life; and the life was the light of men." John 1:4.

"The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life

through Jesus Christ our Lord." Rom. 6:23. In a sense death

is man's worst enemy, for it deprives him of everything else.

1 Cor. 15:26. The prince of light and life came to destroy this

enemy, and with it the prince of darkness and death. Heb.

2:14, 15.

At the resurrection the angel from heaven came with the

message, "Come forth, Thy Father calls

Thee."—The Desire of

Ages,

page 780. And by the divine life Christ always possessed,

even in death, He rose from the tomb.

In what words did Jesus set forth the voluntary nature

of His coming death, and the manner of His resurrection?



THINK IT THROUGH



How can a vicarious death be fair? On what basis can

God accept Jesus' death in place of the sinner's?

"'I am the resurrection and the life.'

He who had said, 'I lay down My life,

that I might take it again,' came forth

from the grave to life that was in Him-

self. Humanity died: divinity did not

die. In His divinity, Christ possessed the

power to break the bonds of death. He

declares that He has life in Himself to

quicken whom He will.

"All created beings live by the will

and power of God. They are recipients

of the life of the Son of God. However

able and talented, however large their

capacities, they are replenished with

life from the Source of all life. He is the

spring, the fountain, of life. Only He

who alone hath immortality, dwelling

in light and life, could say, 'I have

power to lay down My life, and I have

power to take it again.'"—Ellen G.

White Comments, "SDA Bible Commen-

tary," Vol. 5, p. 1113.

Christ: Servant of Man's Necessity

LESSON 8



❑

Thursday



Part 5



"The bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will

MANY REJECT JESUS give for the life of the world. The Jews therefore strove

among themselves, saying, How can this Man give us His

flesh to eat?"

"Many therefore of His disciples, when they had heard

this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?"

"From that time many of His disciples went back, and

John 6:51, 52, 60, 66 walked no more with Him."

At Jacob's well the year before, Jesus had presented salva-

tion as "living water" (John 4:10-14) ; now He refers to Him-

self as "living bread." As water and bread sustain the natural,

physical life, so Christ imparts and sustains the supernatural,

spiritual life. The former is temporal and must be continually

replenished, whereas the latter is permanent and results in

everlasting life. Read John 4:14; 6:51, 58.

Upon this occasion Jesus foreshadowed His death a year

later. The throng, which the day before had been ready to

crown Him King of Israel for salvation from the Romans (John

6:14, 15), began to realize that the salvation He offered was

personal salvation from the power of evil, and they refused

this living bread. Like Nicodemus dodging the import of

Christ's affirmation concerning the new birth, they professed

to take Christ's metaphor literally in order to make it appear

absurd. With this excuse the Galileans now rejected Christ, and

He terminated His Galilean ministry.

What excuses did the majority of the people who

heard Jesus' sermon on the Bread of Life give for their

refusal to accept it?



THINK IT THROUGH



Do you think the people really understood what Jesus

meant about the living bread, and made an informed and

therefore responsible decision?

In what other ways is it possible to refuse the living

bread? Are there trends in my life that could eventually

result in my rejecting it?

"The test was too great. The enthu-

siasm of those who had sought to take

Him by force and make Him king grew

cold. This discourse in the synagogue,

they declared, had opened their eyes.

Now they were undeceived. In their

minds His words were a direct confes-

sion that He was not the Messiah, and

that no earthly rewards were to be

realized from connection with Him.

They had welcomed His miracle-work-

ing power; they were eager to be freed

from disease and suffering; but they

would not come into sympathy with His

self-sacrificing life. They cared not for

the mysterious spiritual kingdom of

which He spoke. The insincere, the sel-

fish, who had sought Him, no longer

desired Him. If He would not devote

His power and influence to obtaining

their freedom from the Romans, they

would have nothing to do with Him."

—"The Desire of Ages," page 391.

Christ: Servant of Man's Necessity

LESSON 8



❑

Friday

Part 6

THERE IS NO

ALTERNATIVE

John 6:67-69

THINK IT THROUGH

"Then said Jesus unto the Twelve, Will ye also go

away? Then Simon Peter answered Him, Lord, to whom

shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. And

we believe and are sure that Thou art that Christ, the

Son of the living God."

To the vast majority of those who had partaken of the

miraculous bread, and who the following day listened to His

sermon on the bread of life, it appeared unattractive; they

would have none of it. The rejection appeared to be unani-

mous. Only the Twelve, seemingly, were left. Would they

follow the crowd? Jesus placed the question to them directly,

in order to strengthen their faith.

Speaking for his fellow disciples, Peter asked in reply, "To

whom shall we go?" They realized that there was no real

alternative. A year later Peter and John declared, "Neither is

there salvation in any other: for there is none other name

under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."

Acts 4:12.

Even though, like the twelve disciples, we may have been

following Christ for years, we shall do well to face up to this

question. To whom shall we go today? Is there anything else

worth living for? Are we accepting, and partaking of, the living

bread from heaven, or are we, in effect though perhaps not

directly, turning away from it?

Weigh carefully Peter's response to Jesus' searching

question. What understanding of Jesus' mission to earth

does this question, and Peter's own answer to it, reflect?

What experiences during his two and a half years

with Christ do you think prepared Peter to respond as he

did? How would you have responded had you been in

his place, and what reasons would you give for your

response, if asked?

To whom, or to what, would you turn as an alternative

to your faith in Christ?

"'To whom shall we go?' Not from

the teaching of Christ, His lessons of

love and mercy, to the darkness of

unbelief, the wickedness of the world.

While the Saviour was forsaken by

many who had witnessed His wonder-

ful works, Peter expressed the faith of

the disciples,—'Thou art that Christ.'

The very thought of losing this anchor

of their souls filled them with fear and

pain. To be destitute of a Saviour was

to be adrift on a dark and stormy sea."

—"The Desire of Ages," page 393.

Answers: (1) c; (2) false; (3) that men might believe in Him; (4) lay down His life, take it

again; (5) a; (6) to whom shall we go?

puol„ gdaz zalad

‘tu!H anvai 2tqutreid aJam `oo4 'Amp 31

DAION11



paAsu snsaf uatim .9



pugg tuoq mut atp Suquaq

(p)

`aatquo



alp 2u!ups

(o)

‘sruuzu-i 2u!stul

(q)

`000'5



u!PaaJ (v)

opugut aip 2u!motto3 kup



atuuo aaiguo u! kustutut ,snsaf jo s!slio og



Jamod puu

Jomod pug aH lutp plus snsaf 'apt umo s!H jo 2upluads 17

sum satoentu ,snsof jo anpoacgo atuaidns ata •E



tunutuadup

u1 atuog spiad jo jocu atp g2nonp umop aai uEul pugg atp 0i 1112Is pannsaz

aH uagM

SUIS 94.10j 01 JatlA0d

s!H paluilsuotuap snsaf :asyed

atu 7



Jalum (p) 'pax'

(o)

cspuad (q) Taos (v) :cn uopeigus jo s2u!ssaig

pandutoo snsaf tunEtuadED lu an2ogeuAs



patatpu2 aidoad alp o •I

•

laaqs

sup jo =mg alp 4u

SJOAASUV alp 1.11IAA S.13AASUE InoA

rain .suopsanb 2u1moi

ioj atp

I@A1SLIE



palpkul aze noA uossat sup pa!prus aAEg noX 3E1.11 MON

S3MOd

Aanis dflOA AO 1S31 V <> SNOLLS3r10

Aavwwns

4"d

8 NOSS"'

fivssaoaN suvyQ

$uva.tas

:441110

August 29,1970

CHRIST: TRANSFORMER OF MEN

"But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are

changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the

Lord." 2 Cor. 3:18.

The goal of the gospel is a transformed

life. From human beings with a nature re-

sembling that of the evil one, it is Christ's

purpose to make us over again into His

own image, as He originally created us.

This lesson is concerned with the means

by which this transformation takes place,

the difference thus effected, and the main-

tenance of this new way of life.

Plastic surgeon, beautician, barber, and

tailor can make marked changes in a per-

son's outward appearance. But they are

unable to change the heart. With all of his

technological skill, man is powerless to

transform himself. Nothing short of God's

creative power operating deep within a

person can accomplish this objective. But

this transformation has been attested mil-

lions of times in actual practice.

LESSON OUTLINE

The Set of the Soul

Rom. 8:5-9, 14

A Transformed Mind

Rom. 12:1, 2

Born of the Spirit

John 3:5-8

The New Man

Eph. 4:22-24, 30

Abiding in Christ

John 15:4, 5, 8

Fruits of the Indwelling Christ

Gal. 2:20; 5:22, 23

Christ: Transformer of Men

LESSON 9



❑

Sunday

Part 1



"They that are after the flesh do mind the things of the

THE SET OF flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the

THE SOUL Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spir-

itually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind

is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of

God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the

flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but

in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.

Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none

of His."

"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are

Rom. 8:5-9, 14 the sons of God."

In Paul's writings "the flesh" includes all of the evil, natural

tendencies of human nature. Read Rom. 13:14; Gal. 5:16-24.

Though sins of intellect and pride are as heinous in God's sight

as any others, so many of what appear to men to be the grosser

sins are related to material things and to the physicSI nature.

With Paul, "the Spirit" is the opposite of "the flesh." To

be "in the flesh" or "after the flesh" is to let natural inclination

determine one's choices, whereas to be "in the Spirit" or "after

the Spirit" is to be governed by the principles of heaven. By

"the carnal mind" Paul means the natural desires and motives

of the unregenerate heart. Only those, he says, who have opened

their hearts and minds to the indwelling of the Spirit of Christ

are able to resist the temptations of the evil one; and those in

whom this experience has become a living reality God acknowl-

edges as His sons.

How does Paul describe the differences between a life

motivated by a desire to cooperate with God's will, and

one motivated by natural inclination?

Does a candid examination of my own motives and

conduct over the past week reveal any traces of "the

flesh," in the sense that Paul uses the expression?

Conversely, can I recall any specific instances in which

I chose to follow the leading of the Spirit of God instead

of following inclination in the opposite direction?

THINK IT THROUGH

"Religion consists in doing the words

of Christ; not doing to earn God's favor,

but because, all undeserving, we have

received the gift of His love. Christ

places the salvation of man, not upon

profession merely, but upon faith that

is made manifest in works of righteous-

ness. Doing, not saying merely, is ex-

pected of the followers of Christ. It is

through action that character is built.

'As many as are led by the Spirit of

God, they are the sons of God.' Rom.

8:14.

Not those whose hearts are

touched by the Spirit, not those who

now and then yield to its power, but

they that are led by the Spirit, are the

sons of God."—"Thoughts From the

Mount of Blessing," pages 149, 150.



Christ: Transformer



of Men

LESSON 9



❑

Monday



Part 2



"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of

A TRANSFORMED God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy,

MIND acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye trans-

formed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove

what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of

Rom. 12:1, 2 God."

The two great alternatives of life are: (1) to be "conformed

to this

world" by modeling one's life and conduct after the

pattern provided by those who live exclusively for this world

and what it has to offer, or (2) to be "transformed" by having

one's desires and motives altered to be in harmony with the

principles of heaven. There is no middle ground. A person is

in either one category or the other.

Our English word "metamorphosis," which is derived from

the same Greek word here translated "transformed," denotes

a basic, fundamental change in nature. This change is well illus-

trated in the metamorphosis of the butterfly through the stages

of caterpillar, pupa, and adult insect. No stage resembles any

of the others. At each change there is a complete metamorpho-

sis. When transformed by the grace of Christ, the life from that

point forward—despite mistakes—is oriented heavenward, the

exact opposite of what it was before.

This transformation, says Paul, comes about as the result

of God's mercy and of the human act here described as present-

ing oneself as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.

This sacrifice is made by an act of the will inviting the divine

Spirit to take complete and permanent control of the mind, the

affections, and the life. Thereupon the Spirit goes to work—

silently, persistently, continuously—to remold a person's de-

sires, motives, thoughts, words, and actions to correspond to

God's will. The goal is a life morally in God's image, after His

likeness, as in the beginning.

How is the fundamental change by which a person's

life is reoriented heavenward accomplished? Point out

four steps in this process.



THINK IT THROUGH



Does the experience described in Rom. 12:1, 2 take

place instantaneously, or is it a process covering a long

period of time?

According to this passage of Scripture, what is the key

to a changed life? Do I have this key in my possession?

"The transforming power of Christ's

grace molds the one who gives himself

to God's service. Imbued with the Spirit

of the Redeemer, he is ready to deny

self, ready to take up the cross, ready

to make any sacrifice for the Master.

No longer can he

indifferent to the

souls perishing around him. He is lifted

above self-serving. He has been created

anew in Christ, and self-serving has no

place in his life. He realizes that every

part of his being belongs to Christ, who

has redeemed him from the slavery of

sin; that every moment of his future

has been bought with the precious life-

blood of God's only-begotten Son."—

"Testimonies," Vol. 7, pp. 9, 10.

Christ: Transformer of Men

LESSON 9



❑

Tuesday



Part 3



"Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except

BORN OF a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter

THE SPIRIT into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh

is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Mar-

vel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The

wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound

thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither

John 3:5-8 it goeth: so is everyone that is born of the Spirit."

In conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus described the change

from being "in the flesh" to being "in the spirit" as a rebirth.

As there can be no physical life without birth, so there can be

no spiritual life without spiritual birth. As physical birth is the

beginning of physical life, so spiritual birth is the beginning of

spiritual life. Read John 1:12, 13 for John's further explana-

tion of this process, noting the steps and the means by which

it is accomplished.

As physical birth results in children that resemble their par-

ents, so to be born by the Spirit of God will result in children

who resemble their heavenly Father, whose wills are in harmony

with His. In a later conversation with the Pharisees, Jesus

charged them with being children of the devil because they

resembled him. See John 8:39, 44. If, as they claimed, they

were "Abraham's children," they "would do the works of

Abraham." Even so today, a person's moral profile is a sure

index to his spiritual ancestry.

What truths with respect to conversion did Jesus set

forth in His conversation with Nicodemus?



THINK IT THROUGH



Why do you suppose Jesus discussed conversion in

terms of childbirth, rather than in the more abstract,

philosophical language with which Nicodemus was fa-

miliar?

What truth about the transformation of the life at

conversion is taught by Jesus' illustration of the wind?

"The old nature, born of blood and

the will of the flesh, cannot inherit the

kingdom of God. The old ways, the

hereditary tendencies, the former hab-

its, must be given up; for grace is not

inherited. The new birth consists in hav-

ing new motives, new tastes, new

tendencies. Those who are begotten

unto a new life by the Holy Spirit, have

become partakers of the divine nature,

and in all their habits and practices

they will give evidence of their rela-

tionship to Christ. When men who

claim to be Christians retain all their

natural defects of character and dis-

position, in what does their position

differ from that of the worldling? They

do not appreciate the truth as a sancti-

fier, a refiner. They have not been born

again."—Ellen G. White Comments,

"SDA Bible Commentary," Vol. 6, p.

1101.

Christ: Transformer of Men

LESSON 9



❑

Wednesday

Part 4



"Put off concerning the former conversation the old

THE NEW MAN man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye

put on the new man, which after God is created in righ-

teousness and true holiness."

"And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby

Eph. 4:22-24, 30 ye are sealed unto the day of redemption."

The person who has been "born again" is altogether different

from what he was before, so different in fact that those who

know him best would not even recognize him from his manner

of speaking and acting. It is a matter of "off with the old and

on with the new"—as a person would cast aside a threadbare

garment for one that is new, attractive, and becoming.

In the English language in the days when the King James

Version was translated—the days just after Queen Elizabeth I

and William Shakespeare—the word "conversation" meant

"conduct" or "way of life." It is one's conduct, or way of life,

that determines whether the inner change to the garment of

Christ's righteousness has taken place. If there is no change in

the conduct, it is evident to all that there has been no true

change of mind and heart. Conversely, a changed life is proof

positive that the inner change has, indeed, taken place.

As we have seen (Part 2), the Spirit of God is at work in

the life of the person who exchanges the old way of life for

the new. But if, in desire and persistently in action, we cling

to the old, we grieve the Spirit of God and thereby prevent

Him from making the change.

How does Paul describe the "old" or unconverted man,

and the "new" or converted man?

THINK IT THROUGH

Is the change of which Paul here speaks from the old

to the new instantaneous? In what aspects may it re-

quire more time? At what point in life is the process

complete?

How much of the old, shabby way of life have I re-

tained in my spiritual wardrobe for use when I may be

disposed to revert to it?

What does it mean to be "sealed unto the day of re-

demption"?

"The leaven hidden in the flour

works invisibly to bring the whole mass

under its leavening process

;

so the

leaven of truth works secretly, silently,

steadily, to transform the soul. The nat-

ural inclinations are softened and sub-

dued. New thoughts, new feelings, new

motives, are implanted. A new stan-

dard of character is set up—the life

of Christ. The mind is changed; the

faculties are roused to action in new

lines. Man is not endowed with new fac-

ulties, but the faculties he has are sanc-

tified. The conscience is awakened. We

are endowed with traits of character

that enable us to do service for God."—

"Christ's Object LessoFa" pages 98, 99.

Christ: Transformer of Men

LESSON 9



❑

Thursday



Part 5



"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear

ABIDING IN CHRIST fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can

ye, except ye abide in Me. I am the vine, ye are the

branches: he that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same

bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do

nothing."

"Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much

John 15:4, 5, 8 fruit; so shall ye be My disciples."

Paul warns against hindering the work of the Holy Spirit

in effecting a transformation of the life to conformity with

God's perfect will. Eph. 4:30. Christ here deals with the positive

aspect of the process of Christian transformation, under the

illustration of a branch remaining attached to the grapevine

out of which it grew and of which it is part. Everything de-

pends on maintaining that vital connection, or it will wither

and die. Unless a branch is nourished by the life-giving sub-

stances the vine provides, it is lifeless and fruitless.

The objective of the vinedresser in tending his vines is fruit;

the objective of Christ's solicitous care for us is the fruit of a

character that will be an honor to Him as Owner of the vine-

yard. It is the purpose of the heavenly Vinedresser to demon-

strate that His vines and His method of care are superior in

every way to all other vine stock and methods of culture. Under

His care every branch will produce prizewinning clusters of

grapes for exhibition on the great day of eternal awards.

In His metaphor making Himself the vine and His

disciples the branches, what aspects of the branch-vine

relationship does Christ specifically mention?



THINK IT THROUGH



Mention at least three ways in which the vine con-

tributes to the ability of the branches to bear choice fruit.

How does a person "abide" in Christ? How can I tell

whether I am abiding in Christ?

"The sap of the vine, ascending from

the root, is diffused to the branches,

sustaining growth and producing blos-

soms and fruit. So the life-giving power

of the Holy Spirit, proceeding from the

Saviour, pervades the soul, renews the

motives and affections, and brings even

the thoughts into obedience to the will

of God, enabling the receiver to bear

the precious fruit of holy deeds."—"The

Acts of the Apostles," page 284.

"The connection of the branch with

the vine, He said, represents the rela-

tion you are to sustain to Me. The scion

is engrafted into the living vine, and

fiber by fiber, vein by vein, it grows

into the vine stock. The life of the vine

becomes the life of the branch. So the

soul dead in trespasses and sins re-

ceives life through connection with

Christ.. . . The sinner unites his weak-

ness to Christ's strength, his emptiness

to Christ's fullness, his frailty to Christ's

enduring might. Then he has the mind

of Christ. The humanity of Christ has

touched our humanity, and our human-

ity has touched divinity. Thus through

the agency of the Holy, Spirit man be-

comes a partaker of the divine nature.

He is accepted in the Beloved."—"The

Desire of Ages," page 675.

Christ: Transformer of Men

LESSON 9



❑

Friday



Part 6



"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet

FRUITS OF THE not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now

INDWELLING CHRIST live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who

loved me, and gave Himself for me."

"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffer-

ing, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance:

Gal. 2:20; 5:22, 23 against such there is no law."

In this description of his personal experience as a Christian,

Paul's thoughts, and the words in which he expressed them, soar

into the stratosphere of human experience. It all began when

Paul chose to follow his Master's footsteps all the way to the

cross. The apostle develops this aspect of Christian experience

more fully in the sixth chapter of Romans. Read especially

verses 3-11.

In the natural course of events nothing can be more final

than death. The same is true of the person who, in spirit and

in truth, yields mind and heart to the transforming power of

God's Spirit. He burns all bridges behind him. He does not

look back with wistful longing at the spiritual Sodom he has

left behind. His death to the old way of life is final, complete,

and all-pervasive.

Death does not occur so long as there is a spark of life—so

long as the least desire for the world and the flesh remains—and

unless death occurs there can be no resurrection. But when

death to the old does take place, the resurrection of which Paul

speaks is sure and certain, and the fruits of the Spirit are sure

to follow.

How is Christ's death, burial, and resurrection re-

peated in the experience of the Christian? In what ways

does the experience of the born-again Christian resemble

the resurrected Christ?



THINK IT THROUGH



What does it mean to "live by the faith of the Son of

God"? Does this mean the same kind of faith He had,

or does it mean my faith in Him?

Spend a few moments inspecting the fruits of the

Spirit in your life, one by one checking over the nine

Paul specifically mentions. Which of the nine are already

ripe? Which are still small, hard, and green?

Which of your friends best represent the mature fruit

of character, on each of the nine points?

"More than this, Christ changes the

heart. He abides in your heart by faith.

You are to maintain this connection

with Christ by faith and the continual

surrender of your will to Him; and so

long as you do this, He will work in

you to will and to do according to His

good pleasure. So you may say, 'The

life which I now live in the flesh I live

by the faith of the Son of God, who

loved me, and gave Himself for me.'

. .. So Jesus said to His disciples, 'It is

not ye that speak, but the Spirit of

your Father which speaketh in you.'

. . . Then with Christ working in

you, you will manifest the same spirit

and do the same good works—works of

righteousness, obedience."—"Steps to

Christ," pages 62, 63.

Christ: Transformer of Men

LESSON 9

Part 7 G SUMMARY QUESTIONS G A TEST OF YOUR STUDY POWER

Now that you have studied this lesson you are invited to answer the fol-

lowing questions. Check your answers with the answers at the bottom of this

sheet.

Complete: "To be carnally minded is



; but to be spiri-

tually minded is



and

In describing conversion Paul emphasizes the renewing of:

(a)

the heart,

(h)

the mind,

(c)

the motives,

(d)

the actions



In His conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus described entrance to the

kingdom of God under the figure of

Complete: "And



not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby

ye are



unto the day of redemption."

True or False: A good branch bears fruit even when not connected with

the vine



In describing his personal experience as a Christian, Paul said that he

lived by the



of the Son of God.

.q !e; (9) :asp' (g) :papas `anap2 (t) !114.1pq (E) !q (z) !apead 'al!! 'LIMP (I) :siahistIV

LESSON 10

September 5, 1970

CHRIST, THE TRUTH 10

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh

unto the Father, but by Me." John 14:6.

LESON OUTLINE

One of Satan's principal weapons in the

great confrontation between good and evil

is to keep men in ignorance of the truth.

Totalitarian governments resort to censor-

ship, a denial of free speech and press,

jamming the air waves, and similar proce-

dures in order to prevent the people under

their control from learning what is going

on elsewhere and from hearing about the

benefits of freedom. Dictators spare no

effort to keep their people in ignorance of

truth and feed them with propaganda de-

signed to shackle their minds and their

lives. These procedures and the principles

on which they are based aptly illustrate

those on which Satan operates.

Blinded Minds

2 Cor. 4:3-7

Love of the Truth

2 Thess. 2:7-12

Test the Spirits

1 John 4:1-3, 6

Personal Conviction

Matt. 16:15-19

Human Traditions

Mark 7:6-9

Christ Is the Truth

John 8:31, 32; 14:6; 17:3, 17

Christ, the Truth

LESSON 10



Sunday



Part 1



"If our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:

BLINDED MINDS in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds

of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious

gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine

unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus

the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.

For God, who commanded the light to shine out of dark-

ness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the

knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the

2 Cor. 4:3-7 excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us."

The Creator's first act in preparing this world as a suitable

habitation for man was to command physical light to shine

forth and dispel the darkness that shrouded our planet. Read

Gen. 1:3-5. In like manner our hearts were spiritually dark, in

ignorance of the true character of God and His infinite purpose

for us. Compare Isa. 9:2. But Jesus brought the light of heaven

into this spiritually dark world; He was "the true Light, which

lighteth every man that cometh into the world." John 1:4-9.

The prince of darkness blinded the minds of those who

chose not to receive the true light, but closed their minds to

its saving rays. To reject truth is to choose darkness, and the

result is blindness of mind, heart, and soul. Jesus restored sight

to the blind and spiritual sight to their souls. He would per-

form this miracle for us today.

What two factors does Paul point out as contributing

to spiritual blindness? Conversely, what can restore spir-

itual sight? What is the real cause of spiritual blindness?



THINK IT THROUGH



Which is the preferable state to be in—ignorant blind-

ness or willful blindness? Why?

Am I in danger of spiritual blindness? How does my

attitude toward truth affect my spiritual sight?

"Let the glorious conceptions of God

possess your mind. Let your life be

knit by hidden links to the life of Jesus.

He who commanded the light to shine

out of darkness is willing to shine in

your heart, to give the light of the

knowledge of the glory of God in the

face of Jesus Christ. The H9,1

y Spirit will

take the things of God an

ds show them

unto you, conveying them as a living

power into the obedient heart. Christ

will lead you to the threshold of the In-

finite. You may behold the glory beyond

the veil, and reveal to men the suffi-

ciency of Him who ever liveth to make

intercession for us."—"Christ's Object

Lessons," page 149.

Christ, the Truth

LESSON 10



❑

Monday



Part 2



"The mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he

LOVE OF THE TRUTH who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

And then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord

shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall

destroy with the brightness of" His coming: even him,

whose coming is after the working of Satan with all

power and signs and lying wonders, and with all de-

ceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; be-

cause they received not the love of the truth, that they

might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them

strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they

all might be damned who believed not the truth, but

2 Thess. 2:7-12 had pleasure in unrighteousness."

In words that cannot be misunderstood the apostle Paul

points out the basic cause of spiritual blindness on the part of

those who have had an opportunity to gain spiritual sight:

"They received not the love of the truth." The attitude we

take toward revealed truth is the crux of the matter. Do we

love

truth wherever we encounter it, or do we

resent

it and

reject it because it reveals our imperfections and would require

us to change our beliefs and practices? There is no room in

heaven for those who do not love truth.

God does not force anyone to accept truth. But in resenting

or rejecting truth a man deliberately chooses to believe a lie.

The "strong delusion" God sends, or permits to come, upon

those who deliberately inflict spiritual blindness upon them-

selves, is to abandon them to their chosen attitude and fate.

This fate came upon literal Israel when God said, "Ephraim

is joined to idols: let him alone." Hosea 4:17. The same truth

is expressed in Ephesians 4:30, in the form of a warning against

grieving the Holy Spirit.

What is the role of the individual in coming to the

place where he stands eternally condemned in God's

sight? The role of Satan? The role of God?



THINK IT THROUGH



Why does Satan rely on "signs and lying wonders" in

leading men astray?

In what way would Satan be most likely to succeed in

inflicting spiritual blindness upon me? Upon the church

today?

"Those who study the Bible, counsel

with God, and rely upon Christ will be

enabled to act wisely at all times and

under all circumstances. Good princi-

ples will be illustrated in actual life.

Only let the truth for this time be cor-

dially received and become the basis

of character, and it will produce stead-

fastness of purpose, which the allure-

ments of pleasure, the fickleness of

custom, the contempt of the world-lov-

ing, and the heart's own clamors for

self-indulgence are powerless to influ-

ence. Conscience must be first enlight-

ened, the will must be brought into

subjection. The love of truth and righ-

teousness must reign in the soul, and a

character will appear which Heaven can

approve."—"Testimonies," Vol. 5, p. 43.

Christ, the Truth

LESSON 10



❑

Tuesday



Part 3



"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits

TEST THE SPIRITS whether they are of God: because many false prophets

are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit

of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is

come in the flesh is of God: and every spirit that con-

fesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not

of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye

have heard that it should come; and even now already

is it in the world."

"We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us;

he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the



1 John 4:1-3, 6



spirit of truth, and the spirit of error."

No man will be condemned because he honestly believes

error, but for a knowing rejection of truth or for carelessly

failing to accept it. The difference between truth and error

is the difference between life and death, and, having equipped

every intelligent being with the ability to discriminate be-

tween truth and error, God requires that the faculties of the

intellect be used to seek truth, to incorporate it into one's store

of knowledge, and to apply it in making the decisions of life.

A sincere desire for truth is essential to the acquisition and

recognition of truth. A man is not likely to find that which

he is not looking for, or may, indeed, be trying to avoid.

Nothing so effectively blinds a man to truth as a distaste for

it because it is uncongenial or unwelcome.

In John's day the great issue between truth and error cen-

tered in the question as to whether Jesus Christ was truly God

incarnate in humanity. The Docetists claimed that He ap-

peared to be a man but was, in reality, only a phantom and

not truly human. Thus in John's day present truth centered in

recognition of the sublime fact that true humanity and true

divinity were united in the one person Jesus Christ.

What factors are essential in discriminating between

truth and error?

THINK IT THROUGH

To what facets of truth might John have pointed had

he been writing to Christians today?

What difference does it make to me that "Jesus Christ

is come in the flesh," that He is truly man as well as truly

God? What difference does it make whether a man be-

lieves this or not?

"In these days of peril we are not

to accept everything that men bring to

us as truth. As professed teachers from

God come to us declaring that they

have a message from God, it is proper

to inquire carefully, How do we know

that this is truth? Jesus has told us that

'false prophets shall arise and shall

deceive many.' But we need not be

deceived; for the Word of God gives

us a test whereby we may know what

is truth. The prophet says, 'To the law

and to the testimony: if they speak not .

according to this word, it is because

there is no light in them' "—Ellen G.

White Comments, "SDA Bible Commen-

tary," Vol. 7, p. 951.

Christ, the Truth

LESSON 10



❑

Wednesday

Part 4



"He saith unto them, But-whom say ye that I am? And

PERSONAL Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the

CONVICTION Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto

him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona: for flesh and blood

hath not revealed it unto thee, but My Father which is in

heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and

upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of

hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto

thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever

thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and

whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in

Matt. 16:15-19 heaven."

John declared that Jesus Christ was truly a human being as

well as truly God. Confidently he wrote, "We are of God: he

that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth

not us." John and the other disciples knew personally that this

was true. Lesson 5. How could they be so sure?

In the passage here quoted, Matthew goes back to the origi-

nal confession of faith that Jesus of Nazareth was "the Son of

the living God." Upon that occasion Jesus immediately pointed

out to Simon Peter, spokesman for the group, that this great

central truth of the Christian faith could not be attained through

intellectual processes alone. It must come as a conviction in the

heart and mind that the evidence provides conclusive proof

that Jesus is the Messiah foretold by the prophets of old, and

moreover that He is the Son of God.

"Blessed"—happy—said Jesus, is the person who believes

this truth. True happiness in life comes through accepting it.

How can a person know with absolute certainty the

truth about Jesus Christ?

THINK IT THROUGH

Upon what does my personal belief that Jesus Christ

is the Messiah and Son of God rest? Am I sure of this?

How can I be sure?

Do I have the joy of which Jesus spoke, the joy that

comes with the knowledge of who Jesus is and what He

can do for me?

"From the first, Peter had believed

Jesus to be the Messiah. Many others

who had been convicted by the preach-

ing of John the Baptist, and had ac-

cepted Christ, began to doubt as to

John's mission when he was imprisoned

and put to death; and they now

doubted that Jesus was the Messiah,

for whom they had looked so long.

Many of the disciples who had ardently

expected Jesus to take His place on

David's throne left Him when they

perceived that He had no such inten-

tion. But Peter and his companions

turned not from their allegiance. The

vacillating course of those who praised

yesterday and condemned today did

not destroy the faith of the true fol-

lower of the Saviour. Peter declared,

'Thou art the Christ, .the Son of the liv-

ing God.' He waited not for kingly

honors to crown his Lord, but accepted

Him in His humiliation."—"The Desire

of Ages," pages 411, 412.

Christ, the Truth

LESSON 10



❑

Thursday

Part 5



"He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias

HUMAN TRADITIONS prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people

honoreth Me with their lips, but their heart is far from

Me. Howbeit in vain do they worship Me, teaching for

doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the

commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as

the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like

things ye do. And He said unto them, Full well ye reject

the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own

Mark 7:6-9 tradition."

THINK IT THROUGH

All truth about God comes from God. Human intellect is at

its highest in perceiving this truth, which must come as a reve-

lation from God. Human reasoning about God is a precarious

compound of truth and error, and "the commandments of men"

—human requirements—are unacceptable to God as a valid

basis of worshiping Him. The traditions of men have always

been, and always will be, opposed to the truth God has re-

vealed about Himself.

The pretense of honoring God with one's lips is worthless

when a person's heart is far from God. Here Jesus emphasizes

the same truth expressed by Paul (Part 2), that the crucial

factor in

knowing

truth is to

love

it—to desire it, to accept it

with joy, and to cherish it. Not along

with

human traditions

and commandments, but exclusively and single-heartedly.

Here Jesus declares that true religion does not consist in

forms and regulations, but in accepting divine revelation. This

is especially true with respect to man-devised forms and regu-

lations that tend to obscure truth rather than make it mani-

fest. Man-devised commandments and traditions tend to exalt

man and to lead him to forget God or to minimize what God

has explicitly enjoined.

In what forceful language did Jesus distinguish be-

tween true and false religion?

Are any aspects of my personal practice of religion of

human origin—merely form? How can I enter more fully

into the experience Christ here invites sincere believers

to enter?

"Human theories and speculations

will never lead to an understanding of

God's Word. Those who suppose that

they understand philosophy think that

their explanations are necessary to un-

lock the treasures of knowledge and to

prevent heresies from coming into the

church. But it is these explanations that

have brought in false theories and here-

sies. Men have made desperate efforts

to explain what they thought to be in-

tricate scriptures

;

but too often their

efforts have only darkened that which

they tried to make clear."—"Christ's

Object Lessons," page 110.

Christ, the Truth

LESSON 10



❑

Friday

Part 6

CHRIST IS THE

TRUTH

John 8:31, 32;

14:6; 17:3, 17

THINK IT THROUGH

"Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on Him,

If ye continue in My word, then are ye My disciples in-

deed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall

make you free."

"Jesus saith unto him [Thomas], I am the way, the

truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but

by Me."

"And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee

the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast

sent."

"Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy Word is truth."

Jesus not only came to reveal the great ultimate truth about

God and His infinite purpose for man; He

was

ultimate truth

incarnate—in action, lived out so that men of all time can see

it—not in theory but in practice. In such discourses as the

Sermon on the Mount He presented the theory also and placed

it on record in Scripture to accompany the demonstration of

truth He gave us in His perfect life.

The theory and practice of truth revealed by Jesus Christ

liberates fallen men and women from the bonds of ignorance

about God and from the shackles of their own sinful nature

and Satan's, power over their lives. Without this knowledge

and this power men are bound to collect the wages of sin and

the sinful nature that binds them. But by receiving Jesus Christ

as the infinite revelation of divine truth, and by believing that

He is the truth, they receive also "power to become the sons

of God." John 1:12. Sanctifying power liberates men from

the kingdom of error and death and opens to them the gates

of eternal truth and eternal life.

Point out at least four things about the revelation of

divine truth as set forth by Jesus.

From what wrong and harmful ways of thinking and

living has the truth set you free? Are there still some

things from which you need to be set free?

What do you think Jesus included in the word "truth"

as He used it?

"The truths of the Word of God meet

man's great practical necessity—the

conversion of the soul through faith.

These grand principles are not to be

thought too pure and holy to be

brought into the daily life. They are

truths which reach to heaven and com-

pass eternity, yet their vital influence

is to be woven into human experience.

They are to permeate all the great

things and all the little things of life.

"Received into the heart, the leaven

of truth will regulate the desires, purify

the thoughts, and sweeten the disposi-

tion. It quickens the faculties of the

mind and the energies of the soul. It en-

larges the capacity for feeling, for lov-

ing."—"Christ's Object Lessons," pages

100, 101.

•

178

Answers: (1) a; (2) love; (3) try, or test, the spirits, those who claim to be speaking the truth;

(4) false; (5) lips, heart; (6)

pop Jo suns atp

(p)

`suouuldwal s

uuns JsIsai

oa ane

(o)

‘aalj (q)

uoInnius own asyu

(v)

„



noX alum Hulls

tplul alp puu `tpriii alp mom ireqs a

„

:uonaidtuoa Jaallop alp asooqp

„

al/\i woJj nj si



Raga

inq



JIalp tpyu alAi tpaJouoq aidoad slat„ :alaidtuoD •s



poo jo uos agp s! 3sliqD snsaf ntp paDupluoo atueD

-aq '2u!tiosuaI tepObi puu uopuS'usanu! ppm Aq ‘Ja



:asted Jo ani



st tpnil qmal oa ssajoid °gm asotp jo

sunup SuIpmuoa atp uaaiulaq appap op 2u!iduzain u! /Claps Auto s

‘

auo •E

„•panus aq JITSItu Aatp iEga `tprui alp jo

alp you pan!apaz Aatp asneaaq„ anj JIatp Jay's Jsoi ai oqm asota 7

Js!JqD jo iadso2 snopoiS

alp anallaq (3,1 qsyu iou op oqiu asotp Jo spunu atp pauospd

(p)

‘papunom

(o)

‘pauospdul!

(q)

‘paptiqq (v) suq uens „‘ppotu sup jo po2 atp„ sy •I

'Pat's

slap Jo wolloq alp n siamsuu alp tpyu SIDAASUE inoA loaqD •suopsanb &rpmi

qoj alp Jamsuu palyun an noX uossai sup payms axeq noX

1up moN

f3MOd Aanis

dflOA

AO .1S31 V G SNOLLS3r10

Aavwwns o

OL NOSS31



atll

'mato

September 12, 1970

"Pk\'

,..".,

LESSON 11

CHRIST, OUR FULL SALVATION 11:1

"It shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him,

and He will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for Him, we will be glad

and rejoice in His salvation." Isa. 25:9.

This lesson is concerned with ultimates.

It begins with the universal, ultimate need

of all men for salvation because all have

sinned. It continues with the ultimate val-

ues of life, the things that are ultimately

and supremely worth living for. Man's uni-

versal need is met by God's abounding

grace, which is sufficient for even the

worst of sinners. God's eternal purpose is

to obliterate sin and death, and the fact

that Christ did come into the world gives

us confidence that God can and will work

things out according to His purpose. If we

patiently endure, holding firmly and con-

fidently to God's promises, we shall enter

into His eternal rest. Ultimately the time

will come when one pulse of harmony

again beats throughout the universe, and

the plan of salvation will be complete.

LESSON OUTLINE

1. Universal Need

Rom. 3:23-25

2. Ultimate Values

Matt. 16:24-26

3. God's Abounding Grace

1 Tim. 1:12-16

4. God's Eternal Purpose

2 Tim. 1:9-12

5. Patient Endurance

Heb. 3:12-15

6. Predestined to Unity in Christ

Eph. 1:3-5, 9, 10

Christ, Our Full Salvation

LESSON 11



❑

Sunday



Part 1



"All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

UNIVERSAL NEED being justified freely by His grace through the redemp-

tion that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to

be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His

righteousness for the remission of sins that are past,

Rom. 3:23-25 through the forbearance of God."

Deeply embedded in everyone's heart—unless and until it

is suppressed—is the awareness that he ought to be a better

person than he is. He is ashamed of himself for selfish and mean

words and acts, for doing to others as he would not want them

to do to him. Often his associates are more aware of his short-

comings than he is, and those who do not have a personal

interest in him may react negatively to him. If despite our

personal limitations we are thus aware of our own imperfec-

tions, how must others see us! How we need to see ourselves

as others see us and, most important of all, as God sees us!

Even the most nearly perfect man on earth, one who is hon-

ored and respected by all of his associates and especially by

those who know him best, is imperfect and in need of salva-

tion. Unless he avails himself of God's mercy, his very best

falls short of perfection. A gloomy prospect indeed ! But the

apostle hastens on to brighten the dark picture: All have

sinned, to be sure, but all can be made just by God's free grace,

which is available to us through Christ Jesus! Divine forbear-

ance is infinite, even as divine justice is infinite.

To what universal condition of the human race does

Paul point, and to what universal provision to meet that

need? What is necessary on our part?



THINK IT THROUGH



In what major respects have I come short of the glory

of God during the past twenty-four hours? What is the

"glory of God," in this sense?

How can I know whether the experience of justifica-

tion has taken place in my life? Is it possible to retain

the status of justification if I fall into temptation again?

Under what circumstances will I forfeit this status before

God?

"The Lord saw our fallen condition;

He saw our need of grace, and because

He loved our souls, He has given us

grace and peace. Grace means favor

to one who is undeserving, to one who

is lost. The fact that we are sinners,

instead of shutting us away from the

mercy and love of God, makes the

exercise of His love to us a

positive

necessity in order that we may be

saved."—Ellen G.

White

Comments,

"SDA Bible Commentary," Vol. 6, p.

1117.

Christ, Our Full Salvation

LESSON 11



❑

Monday



Part 2



"Then said Jesus unto His disciples, If any man will

ULTIMATE VALUES come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his

cross, and follow Me. For whosoever will save his life

shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for My sake

shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain

the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall

Matt. 16:24-26 a man give in exchange for his soul?"

In these dramatic contrasts Jesus set forth the ultimate aims

of life. He who makes himself and his own interests first is

certain to lose everything. He who forgets himself and his

own interests will gain everything. Herein lies the great paradox

of Christianity. No man works more effectively against his

own best interests than the man who works for them exclu-

sively, but the man who lives most fully for God and his fel-

lowmen is working most effectively for himself.

A man may amass a great fortune and live in luxury, but

he must have life in order to enjoy his riches. To this funda-

mental truth the rich fool (read Luke 12:13-21), who had

amassed wealth sufficient to live in luxury the rest of his days,

seems to have been oblivious. That very night his life was

required of him. "Then," God asked, "whose shall those things

be, which thou hast provided?" The surest road to eternal

poverty is the road along which a man plods in pursuit of

material riches.

Enumerate your three major objectives in life. If you were

granted the privilege of making three wishes, and only three,

with respect to the things you want to get out of life, what

would they be? Be honest with yourself. How do these three

compare with what your conscience tells you you ought to live

for?

With what two supreme alternatives did Jesus confront

those who proposed to follow Him?



THINK IT THROUGH



What is meant by "denying" oneself? How does a

person "take up" the cross of Christ?

If confronted with the threat of death, what would

you be willing to give in exchange for your life?

"In view of the glorious inheritance

that may be his, 'what shall a man

give in exchange for his soul?' . .. He

may be poor, yet he possesses in him-

self a wealth and dignity that the world

could never bestow. The soul redeemed

and cleansed from sin, with all its

noble powers dedicated to the service

of God, is of surpassing worth; and

there is joy in heaven in the presence

of God and the holy angels over one

soul redeemed, a joy that is expressed

in songs of holy triumph."—"Steps to

Christ," page 126.

Christ, Our Full Salvation

LESSON 11



❑

Tuesday

Part 3



"I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me,

GOD'S ABOUNDING for that He counted me faithful, putting me into the

GRACE ministry; who was before a blasphemer, and a persecu-

tor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did

it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was

exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in

Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all

acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to

save sinners; of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause

I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show

forth all long-suffering, for a pattern to them which

1 Tim. 1:12-16 should hereafter believe on Him to life everlasting."

Out of the blindness that overtook Paul on the Damascus

road came first a glorious vision of Jesus Christ as the Saviour

of the world, and then a candid view of himself. He saw himself

as God saw him—a great sinner. Perhaps this candid view of

oneself is prime evidence that the gospel has penetrated one's

mind and heart with the realization that "in me . . . dwelleth

no good thing." Read Rom. 7:13-25.

This sense of utter need is prerequisite to a desire for the

gracious gift of salvation Christ offers to sinners. As Paul re-

flected on his past life, he could think of nothing for which

to commend himself; and this utter worthlessness of his past

life prepared him to appreciate to the full the gracious gift of

God in Christ Jesus. "God forbid," he wrote, "that I should

glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." Gal. 6:14.

At the time he had been sincere, but he had been so wrong.

Paul thought of his personal experience as an example of the

abounding grace of God. Paul was the worst possible prospect,

but divine grace had transformed him into a first-prize exhibit

of what God can do to make useless men into men of infinite

worth for Him and their fellowmen. And if God could do that

for him, says the apostle, surely He can do the same for anyone.

To what personal experience did Paul point as evi-

dence of the abounding grace of God for saving the worst

of sinners?

THINK IT THROUGH

Is there any cause in my own past life experience for

applying Paul's evaluation of himself—"sinners; of whom

I am chief"—to myself? In the sight of God, is my own

past any less open to divine censure than was that of

Paul prior to his conversion? What extenuating circum-

stance in his former life did Paul mention?

What import does this have with respect to my present

attitude toward known duty?

"God has an abundance of grace and and not to Jesus. We do not exalt Jesus

power awaiting our demand. But the and rely wholly upon His merits."—

reason we do not feel our great need "Testimonies," Vol. 5, p. 167.

of it is because we look to ourselves

Christ, Our Full Salvation

LESSON 11



❑

Wednesday



Part 4



"[God] hath saved us, and called us with an holy call-

GOD'S ETERNAL ing, not according to our works, but according to His own

PURPOSE purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus

before the world began, but is now made manifest by

the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath

abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality

to light through the gospel: whereunto I am appointed

a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gen-

tiles. For the which cause I also suffer these things: never-

theless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have be-

lieved, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that

2 Tim. 1:9-12 which I have I committed unto Him against that day."

Paul's absolute confidence in the gospel and his absolute

commitment to it have thrilled and inspired all believers who,

like him, did not have the privilege of personal association with

Jesus during His earthly ministry. If Paul could be so certain,

so can we. To Paul, the logical response to this certainty, di-

vinely implanted in mind and heart, was to dedicate his ability,

life, energy, and fortunes without stint to proclaim the message

so that others might learn to know Jesus Christ as he did and

to share the same joy that had brought a depth of meaning

into his own life.

We did not deserve the infinite provision made for us.

Credit belongs wholly to divine grace. In fact, says Paul, the

divine purpose operating through Christ was in effect even

before the creation of this world, and thus before there was

any need for it. A man who foresees the needs of his fellowmen

and makes provision for them earns their eternal gratitude.

This being so much more true of God, says Paul, it should

inspire a like response to Him.

What facts about the plan of salvation gave Paul such

abounding confidence in Jesus Christ, and what aspects

of his personal response does the apostle mention?



THINK IT THROUGH



Point by point, analyze Paul's response to the gospel.

To what extent is my response like that of Paul? Are

there ways in which my response ought to be more

complete?

Do you think Paul's summary of the purpose of Christ's

mission to earth, as stated in verse 10, is adequate? If

you were giving a brief summary of Jesus' mission to

earth, what would you add to Paul's statement?

"The plan for our redemption was

not an afterthought, a plan formulated

after the fall of Adam. It was a reve-

lation of 'the mystery which hath been

kept in silence through times eternal.'

Rom.

16:25, R.V.

It was an unfolding

of the principles that from eternal ages

have been the foundation of God's

throne. From the beginning, God and

Christ knew of the apostasy of Satan,

and of the fall of man through the de-

ceptive power of the apostate. God did

not ordain that sin should exist, but He

foresaw its existence, and made pro-

vision to meet the terrible emergency."

—"The Desire of Ages," page 22.

Christ, Our Full Salvation

LESSON 11



❑

Thursday



Part 5



"Take heed, brethren, lest there t. in any of you an

PATIENT EDURANCE evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.

But exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest

any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the be-

ginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end; while

it is said, Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your



Heb. 3:12-15



hearts, as in the provocation."

Eagerly expecting soon to reach the promised rest in the

land of Cannan, the liberated Hebrew slaves set out from the

land of their servitude. There they were to find "rest" from

the bitter slavery of Egypt, rest from the weary wilderness, rest

from being strangers in a land that was not theirs. Canaan was

to be their permanent home.

But upon reaching the borders of the Promised Land "they

could not enter in because of unbelief." Verse 19. They doubted

God's power to subdue the giants and the walled cities before

them.

As Christians we have set out from the land where we were

once bondslaves of sin. Our goal is the heavenly Canaan, where

we expect to find rest from sin and its baleful results. "If we

hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end,"

all will be well. The way may be long and weary and beset by

dangers of every kind; it may call forth every ounce of reserve

energy and fortitude. But if we persevere to the end, we will

enter the eternal "rest" that remains to the people of God. God

is able; let us persevere, in His strength overcoming the many

dangers that beset pilgrims of the heavenward way.

What supreme danger lurks along the way to the

heavenly Canaan, and what is necessary if a person is

to reach his ultimate objective?



THINK IT THROUGH



How is a person's heart "hardened through the de-

ceitfulness of sin"?

What causes hardening of the heart?

How does my confidence in God today compare with

the confidence with which I set out on my heavenward

journey?

"By the grace of God let us be stead-

fast to the principles of truth, holding

firm to the end the beginning of our

confidence. We are to be 'not slothful

in business; fervent in spirit

;

serving

the Lord' (Rom. 12:11). One is our Mas-

ter, even Christ. To Him we are to look.

From Him we are to receive our wis-

dom. By His grace we are to preserve

our integrity, standing before God in

meekness and contrition, and represent-

ing Him to the world."—"Selected Mes-

sages," Bk. 1, p. 127.

Christ,

Our Full Salvation

LESSON 11



❑

Friday



Part 6



"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus

PREDESTINED TO Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in

UNITY IN CHRIST heavenly places in Christ: according as He hath chosen

us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we

should be holy and without blame before Him in love:

having predestinated us unto the adoption of children

by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure

of His will."

"Having made known unto us the mystery of His will,

according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed

in Himself: that in the dispensation of the fullness of

times He might gather together in one all things in Christ,

both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even



Eph. 1:3-5, 9, 10



in Him.

From our point of view as sinners saved by grace, the pur-

pose of the plan of redemption was to rescue us from the pit

into which the human race fell when Adam sinned. From the

point of view of the inhabitants of the unfallen worlds its

purpose is to reunify the universe, whose harmony was inter-

rupted by sin. The first makes possible the second.

The concept that God has arbitrarily accepted certain indi-

viduals and rejected others is the result of misunderstanding

this passage. God's original purpose was that "all men" be

"saved" and "come unto the knowledge of the truth" (read

1 Tim. 2:4-6), and that "whosoever believeth in Him [Christ]

should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16. God

made provision for saving all men, but He coerces no one to

believe or to accept His gracious gift. It is those who accept

Christ and believe in Him who actually receive "power to be-

come the sons of God." John 1:12.

In what words does Paul set forth the twofold objec-

tive of the plan of salvation?



THINK IT THROUGH



Inasmuch as God predestined the salvation of the

entire world, why will not all men actually be saved?

What practical application can be made, here and

now, of the ultimate objective of God to "gather together

in one all things in Christ"?

"In the council of heaven, provision

was made that men, though transgres-

sors, should not perish in their disobe-

dience, but, through faith in Christ as

their substitute and surety, might be-

come the elect of God, predestinated

unto the adoption of children by Jesus

Christ to Himself according to the good

pleasure of His will. God wills that all

men should be saved; for ample pro-

vision has been made, in giving His

only-begotten Son to pay man's ran-

som. Those who perish will perish be-

cause they refuse to be adopted as chil-

dren of God through Christ Jesus."—

Ellen G. White Comments, "SDA Bible

Commentary," Vol. 6, p. 1114.

Christ, Our Full Salvation

LESSON 11

Part 7 <> SUMMARY QUESTIONS G A TEST OF YOUR STUDY POWER

Now that you have studied this lesson you are invited to answer the fol-

lowing questions. Check your answers with the answers at the bottom of this

sheet.

Complete: "All have



, and

of the glory of God."

True or False: The great paradox of human existence is that the man

who sets out to live exclusively for himself is certain to lose everything that

is worth having



The man who claimed to be the most abject of all sinners was

(a)

John

(b)

Judas,

(c)

Peter,

(d)

Paul



God's grace was given us in Christ

(a)

before the world began,

(b)

when

Adam and Eve sinned,

(c)

at Jesus' birth,

(d)

at the cross



We have been promised an eternal share in the inheritance of the saints,

if we "hold the beginning of our confidence



True or False: God has predestined all men to find salvation in Christ.

•

ann (9) !pm aT.{4 own Isenvals (9)



(17) 7p (£) !mu; (z) !4.1cis atuop Vauu!s (1) :sionnsud

September 19, 1970

LESSON 12

CHRIST: JUSTIFIER AND SANCTIFIER

"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our

Lord Jesus Christ." Rom. 5:1.

In the Bible sense, the two words "justi-

fication" and "sanctification" refer to essen-

tially the same experience. Both describe

the transition from a state of mind in which

a person lives for himself and for the plea-

sures the world has to offer to a state of

mind in which he lives as God would have

him live and with the best interests of his

fellowmen in view. In the Bible sense a per-

son is justified, or sanctified, the moment

he renounces himself and the world and

dedicates heart, mind, and life to God. In

an extended theological sense we com-

monly use the word "sanctification" to de-

scribe the process that follows justification,

during which the various aspects of the

character are remodeled after the pattern

given us by Christ. In this lesson "justifica-

tion" and "sanctification" are used in the

Bible sense rather than the theological

sense.

LESSON OUTLINE

Righteousness by Faith

Rom. 4:5-8

No Condemnation

Rom. 8:1, 2, 6

At Peace With God

Rom. 5:1, 2, 5, 8, 10

A New Person

2 Cor. 5:17-19

Be Ye Holy

1 Peter 1:13-16, 23; 2:9

Christian Perfection

Heb. 13:20, 21



Christ: Justifier and



Sanctifier

LESSON 12



❑

Sunday



Part 1



"To him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that

RIGHTEOUSNESS justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteous-

BY FAITH ness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of

the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without

works, saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are for-

given, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man

Rom. 4:5-8 to whom the Lord will not impute sin."

In this passage the great apostle of righteousness by faith

uses a number of different expressions to describe the keynote

experience of his own life as a Christian, and of the gospel

message as he proclaimed it. Careful study of this passage

etches a clear outline of what the sometimes misused expres-

sion, righteousness by faith, means.

The key difference, as here set forth, is between

working

and

believing

as the means by which to attain to righteousness,

that is, acceptance by God. The difference is between doing

something oneself to merit God's acceptance, or believing that

what Christ has done for him is acceptable in God's sight as

meeting the requirement of moral rectitude. Faith, then, is the

key factor in attaining to righteousness by faith.

The person who comes to God on the basis of faith in Christ

has his iniquities forgiven, his sins covered. Verse 7. Thereafter,

God no longer imputes sin to such a person (verse 8), but

considers him just, or upright. Verse 5. It is important to note

further that a man attains to this status, not on the basis of

anything he does, but on the basis of his faith in what Christ

has done for him. God imputes Christ's righteousness to him

as if it were his own (verse 6), that is,

credits,

counts

it to

him as his very own (verse 5), and in so doing

justifies

him.

The "blessed," or happy, state of such a man is mentioned

three times in verses 6 to 8.

Summarize in your own words the apostle Paul's

description of the status of a person before and after

he comes to Christ in faith, and the means by which the

change is accomplished.



THINK IT THROUGH



In describing the experience of righteousness by faith,

why does the apostle say nothing about the Christian's

experience after God has accepted his faith in what Christ

has done?

How fully has the experience here described become

a reality in my own life?

"Faith is the condition upon which

God has seen fit to promise pardon to

sinners; not that there is any virtue in

faith whereby salvation is merited, but

because faith can lay hold of the merits

of Christ, the remedy provided for sin.

Faith can present Christ's perfect obe-

dience instead of the sinner's transgres-

sion and defection. When the sinner

believes that Christ is his personal Sav-

iour, then according to His unfailing

promises, God pardons his sin and jus-

tifies him freely. The repentant soul

realizes that his justification comes be-

cause Christ, as his substitute and

surety, has died for him."—Ellen G.

White Comments, "SDA Bible Commen-

tary," Vol. 6, p. 1073.



Christ: Justifier and



Sanctifier

LESSON 12



❑

Monday



Part 2



"There is therefore now no condemnation to them

NO CONDEMNATION which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh,

but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in

Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and

death."

"For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spir-

Rom. 8:1, 2, 6 itually minded is life and peace."

Those who have been justified on the basis of their faith

in Christ Jesus stand before God without condemnation. The

charges against them have been dropped; there is "no con-

demnation." Here the apostle refers to the Christian experience

of such persons as

walking:

They do not stand still in the

happy experience of being declared free from the charges

against them in their former state as sinners, but they make

progress (walk) toward the destination God has marked out

for them. This walk is "after the Spirit," that is, they follow

where the Spirit leads them, not where their fleshly lusts

formerly led them. Read all of verses 1 to 6.

In verse 2 Paul contrasts "the law of the Spirit of life in

Christ Jesus" with "the law of sin and death." As here used,

the word "law" might better be translated "principle." It is a

fundamental principle that sin brings death, and another funda-

mental principle that faith in Christ results in life. In Christ,

says Paul, the higher principle of life in Christ transcends the

lower principle that sin results in death. Christ has provided

the antidote for effectively counteracting the principle that

sin brings death.

How does Paul describe the Christian experience of

a person who has been justified by faith in Christ?



THINK IT THROUGH



With a modern court case as an illustration, compose

a modern parable based on this passage of Scripture.

To what extent am I walking as a Christian "after

the Spirit"? Am I, in some respects at least, still walk-

ing "after the flesh"?

"Christ has made a way of escape

for us. He lived on earth amid trials

and temptations such as we have to

meet. He lived a sinless life. He died

for us, and now He offers to take our

sins and give us His righteousness. If

you give yourself to Him, and accept

Him as your Saviour, then, sinful as

your life may have been, for His sake

you are accounted righteous. Christ's

character stands in place of your char-

acter, and you are accepted before God

just as if you had not sinned."—"Steps

to Christ," page 62.



Christ: Justifier and



Sanctifier

LESSON 12



❑

Tuesday



Part 3



"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace

AT PEACE WITH with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we



GOD



have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and

rejoice in hope of the glory of God."

"And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of

God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which

is given unto us."

"But God commendeth His love toward us, in that,

while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

"For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled

to God by the death of His Son, much more, being re-



Rom. 5:1, 2, 5, 8, 10



conciled, we shall be saved by His life."

The "ungodly" (Rom. 4:5) are at war with God. The un-

regenerate mind "is enmity against God"; "it is not subject to

the law of God, neither indeed can be." Rom. 8:7. But Christ

came to earth as the "Prince of peace," with an embassage

of peace (Isa. 9:6) and reconciled us to God. 2 Cor. 5:18. God

does not consider the sinner an enemy, but a son held captive

by sin and brainwashed by the enemy. God loves the sinner,

but hates the sin that binds him. When a sinner repents and

is justified before God by faith, he is no longer an\ enemy;

then he is at peace with God.

One thus reconciled and at peace with God rejoices in hope

and God's love fills his heart. Rom. 5:2, 5. It was Christ's

death that effected reconciliation with God. Verse 10. To carry

through Paul's thought in verse 10, we would be reconciled

but without the prospect of life except for Christ's resurrection.

The fact that He lives again saves us from death. Read Romans

6:3-11. As Christ arose, so we rise from a moribund state in

sin to "walk in newness of life."

THINK IT THROUGH

Point out at least four aspects of the experience that

comes to the person who has been justified by faith.

Except for God's initiative in providing salvation,

would men ever desire, or seek, reconciliation with God?

Why?

To what extent do I possess the peace, joy, hope, and

love of God of which Paul writes? If to some degree these

are lacking in my life, what is the reason, and what can

I do to make them a living reality?

"Faith is not the ground of our sal-

vation, but it is the great blessing—the

eye that sees, the ear that hears, the

feet that run, the hand that grasps. It

is the means, not the end. If Christ gave

His life to save sinners, why shall I

not

take that blessing? My faith grasps

it, and thus my faith is the substance

things

hoped for, the evidence of

things unseen. Thus resting and believ-

ing, I have peace with God through the

Lord Jesus Christ."—Ellen G. White

Comments, "SDA Bible Commentary,"

Vol. 6, p. 1073.

Christ: Justifier and Sanctifier

LESSON 12



❑

Wednesday

Part 4



"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new crea-

A NEW PERSON tore: old things are passed away; behold, all things are

become new. And all things are of God, who hath recon-

ciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us

the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in

Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing

their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us

2 Cor. 5:17-19 the word of reconciliation."

THINK IT THROUGH

The key concept in this passage is in the word "new." The

contrast between what a person used to be before finding

reconciliation with God, and what he is afterward, is evident

in every aspect of his life. He has new objectives to live for.

New impulses stir his life and, one by one, sweep away the old

desires and aspirations. New ideals replace the old. New emo-

tions swell in the heart. New traits of character take root and

grow to maturity.

As the newborn Christian sets out to mortify, or put to

death, his former desires and evil practices (Rom. 8:13), a

pitched battle ensues. No longer, in his inmost heart, does he

care for these things, yet he finds that the old thoughts, emo-

tions, habits, and practices must be resolutely put down. He

battles with one, marches on, and then battles with another.

One and all, he hates them (Rom. 7:15-25), struggles for

victory over them, and finds deliverance through Jesus Christ.

He is walking "after the Spirit" (Rom. 8:1) ; and resolutely,

by the grace and power of Christ, he subdues every un-Christ-

like trait of character, until he grows up in character, as well

as in name, to be a son of God.

What exhilarating, joyful experience comes to the per-

son who has been reconciled to God?

As you think back on your own experience in finding

Christ, what aspects of your life became notably "new"?

For which of these are you particularly thankful?

"The leaven hidden in the flour

works invisibly to bring the whole mass

under its leavening process; so the

leaven of truth works secretly, silently,

steadily, to transform the soul. Then

natural inclinations are softened and

subdued. New thoughts, new feelings,

new motives, are implanted. A new

standard of character is set up—the life

of Christ. The mind is changed; the

faculties are roused to action in new

lines. Man is not endowed with new

faculties, but the faculties he has are

sanctified. The consciencejs awakened.

We are endowed with traits of char-

acter that enable us to do service for

God."—"Christ's Object Lessons," pages

98, 99.

Christ: Justifier and Sanctifier

LESSON 12



Thursday

Part 5

BE YE HOLY

1 Peter 1:13-16,

23; 2:9

THINK IT THROUGH

"Gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope

to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you

at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children,

not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts

in your ignorance: but as He which hath called you is

holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because

it is written, Be ye holy; for

I am holy."

"Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of in-

corruptible, by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth

forever."

"Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an

holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth

the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness

into His marvelous light."

The person who finds righteousness by faith, who stands

justified before God, at peace with Him, and a new person in

Christ Jesus, is declared to be holy. Bible writers use the word

"holy" to describe a person or an object as set apart or dedi-

cated to the service of God. God is holy by virtue of His in-

trinsic righteous character as God; man is holy by virtue of

his relationship to God, never in his own right. Thus, Israel is

commonly referred to as a holy nation, not because its people

were uniformly upright and without moral fault, but because,

as a nation, they sustained a special relationship to God as the

one nation on earth dedicated to God as the instrument of His

divine purpose on earth.

As the apostle Peter here points out, however, the person

who enters into this relationship with God will reflect that

relationship in all his "conversation," that is, his conduct or

manner of life. Those whose lives are thus dedicated to Christ

constitute a "holy nation" like Israel of old. Furthermore, they

are a "peculiar people," that is (as the Greek reads) "Go

d's

own people," and as such they are His personal possession. A

privilege indeed!

How does Peter describe the special relationship that

exists between God and those who accept Christ as their

Saviour?

How does a person "gird up the loins" of his mind?

How would you express this in modern language?

Does a holy person ever make mistakes? Does God

consider a person who sins, holy? Or does a person lose

this status the moment he misses the mark?

"No repentance is genuine that does

not work reformation. The righteous-

ness of Christ is not a cloak to cover

unconfessed and unforsaken sin; it is

a principle of life that transforms the

character and controls the cor

'lluct. Holi-

ness is wholeness for God; it is the

entire surrender of heart and life to

the indwelling of the principles of

heaven."—"The Desire of Ages," pages

555, 556.

Christ: Justifier and Sanctifier

LESSON 12



❑

Friday



Part 6



"Now the God of peace, that brought again from the

CHRISTIAN dead our Lord Jesus, that Great Shepherd of the sheep,

PERFECTION through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you

perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you

that which is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus



Heb. 13:20, 21



Christ; to whom be glory forever and ever."

The Greek word translated "perfect" means "mature," "full-

grown," "that which has reached its objective." By this defini-

tion, a "perfect" Christian is a mature Christian. He has a

reasonably symmetrical understanding of his relationship to

God and to his fellowmen. He assumes the responsibilities of

Christian maturity, along with its privileges. He acts like a

mature person, spiritually, not with the irresponsibility that

sometimes characterizes childhood and youth. In his attitude

toward the various situations of life he is consistent, steady,

self-reliant, considerate of others.

It is the purpose of the mature Christian to order his life

in harmony with the divine will, to bring every aspect of his

life into harmony with that will. This is his steadfast objec-

tive, one toward which he works persistently and steadily.

When he misses the mark, he does not become discouraged and

let setbacks stop his progress toward his ideal. He may fall

into temptation, but he rises again.

In this lesson we have traced the experience of a person in

coming to Christ (Parts 1 and 2) and then his relationship to

God as a sinner justified by the blood of Christ. The person

who by the grace of God has complied with the divine will each

step of the way attains to perfection in Christ.

What is the goal of the born-again Christian, and how

does God look upon a life thus dedicated to reflect the

character of Jesus Christ?

THINK IT THROUGH

How can a person be perfect, and yet be working

toward Christian perfection? (See "SDA Bible Commen-

tary" on Matt. 5:48 and on Phil. 3:12-16.)

At what point in his experience as a Christian does

he attain to perfection in the Bible sense of the word?

"While we cannot claim perfection

of the flesh, we may have Christian

perfection of the soul. Through the sac-

rifice made in our behalf, sins may be

perfectly forgiven. Our dependence is

not in what man can do

;

it is in what

God can do for man through Christ.

When we surrender ourselves wholly

to God, and fully believe, the blood of

Christ cleanses from all sin. The con-

science can be freed from condemna-

tion. Through faith in His blood, all may

be made perfect in Christ Jesus. Thank

God that we are not dealing with im-

possibilities. We may claim sanctifica-

tion. We may enjoy the favor of God.

We are not to be anxious about what

Christ and God think of us, but about

what God thinks of Christ, our Substi-

tute. Ye are accepted in the Beloved.

The Lord shows, to the repenting, be-

lieving one, that Christ accepts the

surrender of the soul, to be molded and

fashioned after His own likeness."—

"Selected Messages," Bk. 2, pp. 32, 33.

Christ: Justifier and Sanctifier

LESSON 12

Part 7

SUMMARY QUESTIONS <> A TEST OF YOUR STUDY POWER

Now that you have studied this lesson you are invited to answer the fol-

lowing questions. Check your answers with the answers at the bottom of this

sheet.

True or False: According to Paul, a man attains to righteousness through

faith and works



Complete: "There is therefore now no



to them which

are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the



but after

the



Which of the following is

not

pointed out as a

result

of experiencing justifi-

cation by faith:

(a)

peace,

(b)

love, (c) hope,

(d)

faith.

Complete: "If any man be in Christ, he is a



True or False: To be "holy" in the Bible sense is to be in a state of sinless

perfection



What other word would you suggest as expressing most accurately the

import of the word "perfect" used in the Bible sense



•

pwoM ieptu!s auras

.10

'ainleux

(9) !asiej (g) !ainvan mau ((,) !p (g) !4pp:Is



`uopeutuapuoo

(z) !ow;

(j) :saannsulf

100

LESSON 13

September 26, 1970

CHRIST, THE WAY TO HEAVEN

"Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood

of Jesus, by a new and living way . . . ; let us draw near with a true heart in

full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and

our bodies washed with pure water." Heb. 10:19-22.

In the plan of salvation Christ has

opened up before us a way by which we

can attain to His original purpose for the

human race. It is new, it is living, it is the

way of union with Christ. He identified

Himself with humanity in order that we

might identify ourselves with divinity. The

Christian life is a life of pressing toward

the mark, the ideal set by Christ. The fu-

ture reward of the faithful, the eternal

inheritance, is one for which those who are

faithful in this life qualify by accepting the

gift of salvation in Christ and by conform-

ing their characters to the ideal He set be-

fore them in His own life.

LESSON OUTLINE

A New and Living Way

Heb. 10:19-22

Union With Christ

John 14:20; 15:5-8

The Pathway of Obedience

John 14:21; 15:10

Pressing Toward the Mark

Phil. 3:10-14

A Reward for Every Man

Matt. 16:24-27

The Eternal Inheritance

Matt. 25:31-34

101

Christ, the Way to Heaven

LESSON 13



❑

Sunday

Part 1



"Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into

A NEW AND the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living

LIVING WAY way, which He hath consecrated for us, through the veil,

that is to say, His flesh; and having an High Priest over

the house of God; let us draw near with a true heart in

full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from

an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure

Heb. 10:19-22 water."

THINK IT THROUGH

The "new and living way" of which the author of Hebrews

writes is "new" in contrast to the "old" way operative under

the "old covenant," of approaching God through the ancient

sacrificial system. Read Heb. 9:1-15; 8:6-10; 10:1-12. It is

"living" in the sense that it does "take away sins," whereas

"it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should

take away sins." Heb. 10:4. The ancient sacrificial system never

did take away sins, for it was a "ministration of death." 2 Cor.

3:6-8.

But to us in our day, when we come to Christ, His min-

istry in heaven on our behalf can also be "new" and "living"

—new because we have entered into a new experience and

relationship, and living because Christ's power to cleanse from

sin is a living reality in the experience of the born-again Chris-

tian.

The four prerequisites to this experience are simple and

clear: (1) "a true heart," that is, faith and sincere motives;

(2)

"full assurance of faith," or complete confidence and trust;

(3)

"our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience," that is, a

clear conscience, clear because we have made everything right

with God and with fellowmen whom we may have wronged,

and with a sincere purpose to cooperate willingly and gladly

with all that God may require of us; and (4) "our bodies"

have been "washed with pure water"—we have complied with

the outward sign of inward regeneration, baptism.

What four requirements are set forth with which those

are to comply who would enter upon the "new and living

way" Christ has opened for us?

Why does God specify "boldness" as one of the traits

He expects of those who approach the throne of divine

grace by the "new and living way"?

Is my conscience clear with respect to my past rela-

tionships to God and to my fellowmen?

"The intercession of Christ in man's

behalf in the sanctuary above is as es-

sential to the plan of salvation as was

His death upon the cross. By His death

He began that work which after His

resurrection He ascended to complete

in heaven. We must by faith enter with-

in the veil, 'whither the Forerunner is

for us entered.' Hebrews 6:20. There the

102

light from the cross of Calvary is re-

flected. There we may gain a clearer

insight into the mysteries of redemp-

tion. The salvation of man is accom-

plished at an infinite expense to

heaven; the sacrifice made is equal to

the broadest demands of the broken

law of God.—"The Great Controversy,"

page 489.



Christ, the Way to



Heaven

LESSON 13



❑

Monday



Part 2



"At that day ye shall know that I am in My Father, and

UNION WITH ye in Me, and I in you."



CHRIST



"I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth

in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit:

for without Me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in

Me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and

men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they

are burned. If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in

you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto

you. Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much



John 14:20; 15:5-8



fruit; so shall ye be My disciples."

The new and living way upon which the person enters who

accepts salvation in Christ requires a continuous living connec-

tion with Christ in order to maintain a healthy experience.

For those who have found the joy of salvation in Christ,

Satan has a new temptation—to stray from Christ, or to sup-

pose that one's present experience is enough to guarantee eter-

nal life. To many he whispers the subtle error, "You are a

Christian now. Your name is on the church books. You are

sure of heaven. Now you can relax and enjoy life." To others he

comes with a subtle variant of the same temptation: "Yes,

you're saved. Once saved, always saved. God's grace has re-

leased you from obeying God's commands. You can do as you

please without any worry. God is obliged, now, to let you into

heaven. From now on out He won't be concerned with what

you do or don't do. You're in!"

What vital facts with respect to discipleship did Jesus

illustrate by the brief parable of the vine and its

branches?

THINK IT THROUGH

In a practical, literal sense, how does a person abide

in Christ? What is the difference between abiding in

Christ, and Christ abiding in us?

What points of comparison are there between the

parable and the experience of the Christian abiding in

Christ?

"Though He was about to be re-

moved from them, their spiritual union

with Him was to be unchanged. The

connection of the branch with the vine,

He said, represents the relation you are

to sustain to Me. . . . The life of the

vine becomes the life of the branch.

So the soul dead in trespasses and sins

receives life through connection with

Christ. By faith in Him as a personal

Saviour the union is formed. The sinner

unites his weakness to Christ's strength,

his emptiness to Christ's fullness, his

frailty to Christ's enduring might. Then

he has the mind of Christ."—"The De-

sire of Ages," page 675.

"He who is imbued with the Spirit of

Christ abides in Christ. The blow that

is aimed at him falls upon the Saviour,

who surrounds him with His presence.

Whatever comes to him comes from

Christ. He has no need to resist evil, for

Christ is his defense. Nothing can touch

him except by our Lord's permission."

—"Thoughts From the Mount of Bless-

ing," page 71.

103

Christ, the Way to Heaven

LESSON 13



❑

Tuesday

Part 3



"He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them,

THE PATHWAY he it is that loveth Me: and he that loveth Me shall be

OF OBEDIENCE loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest

Myself to him."

"If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My

love; even as I have kept My Father's commandments,

John 14:21; 15:10 and abide in His love."

The modern mind resents the idea of having to comply with

any objective requirements, whether human or divine. It wants

to do only what it pleases. This attitude is a modern version

of the temptation Satan presented to Adam and Eve in the

Garden of Eden, a sophisticated manifestation df the spirit of

rebellion and defiance that has characterized Satan from the

first. As the apostle Paul says in Rom. 8:7, "The carnal mind

. . . is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be."

The "situation ethics" concept that permits a man to ratio-

nalize away his obligation to obey God at all times and under

all circumstances and to decide for himself that something

God has declared to be all wrong is, after all, all right, is of the

devil.

Situation ethics errs by placing love and commandment in

oppositon to each other, as if one could love God without

obeying Him. This is a modern version of the same charge

Satan made against God before being cast out of heaven.

In our scripture for today Christ declares that genuine love for

Him will be reflected in obedience to His commands. Love is

not contrary to the law of God, but the "fulfilling of the

law." Rom. 13:10. We are to "abide," or "continue," in

Christ's love

keeping His commandments.

What relationship did Jesus repeatedly affirm as ex-

isting between genuine love for Him and obedience to

His requirements?

Am I ever tempted to think that circumstances release

me from obeying God?

Are there circumstances under which a person might,

for example, make a purchase on the Sabbath, or dis-

obey his parents, or appropriate to his own use that

which belongs to someone else—and yet in so doing ac-

tually be carrying out God's will for him under the cir-

cumstances? How can a person know, under particular

circumstances, what he ought to do, how he ought to

obey God? How can he be sure that he is not rationaliz-

ing a situation in an endeavor to justify himself for doing

what he wants to do?

THINK IT THROUGH

"It is not enough to believe the

theory of truth. It is not enough to make

a profession of faith in Christ and have

our names registered on the church

roll. . . . 'Hereby we do know that we

know Him, if we keep His command-

104

ments.' 1 John 3:24; 2:3. This is the

genuine evidence of conversion. What-

ever our profession, it amounts to noth-

ing unless Christ is revealed in works of

righteousness."—"Christ's Object Les-

sons," pages 312, 313.

Christ, the Way to Heaven

LESSON 13



❑

Wednesday



Part 4



"That I may know Him, and the power of His resur-

PRESSING TOWARD rection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made

THE MARK conformable unto His death; if by any means I might

attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though

I had already attained, either were already perfect: but

I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which

also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count

not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I

do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reach-

ing forth unto those things which are before, I press

toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God



Phil. 3:10-14



in Christ Jesus."

On no other aspect of the Christian life does there seem to

be so much misunderstanding as on the point of Christian per-

fection. In part, this is because the English word "perfect" does

not accurately reflect the meaning of the Greek word from

which it is translated in the various New Testament passages

where it occurs. "Mature" more closely reflects the meaning

of the Greek word. It denotes an animal or a person who is

able to function effectively as may properly be expected of

him at the time; he is mature for his age and station in life.

In this sense, a child of twelve is mature when he conducts

himself as a child of that age should. But his perfection as a

twelve-year-old child does not mean that he has attained to

the mature attitudes, ability, and conduct that will be expected

of him when he is twenty-one. He is "perfect" as a child of

twelve; but, like Paul, he is still pressing toward the mark of

full maturity. For that matter, he should be growing in char-

acter, ability, and conduct throughout life.

There is, thus, an immediate perfection that all may have

instantly the moment they accept Christ and may retain con-

tinuously throughout life; there is also an ultimate perfection

to which they attain at the end of life's journey. The first is

relative; the second is absolute. God does not expect, nor does

He require, the sincere, earnest Christian to attain to ultimate

perfection before he reaches the end of life's journey; but He

does require him, like Paul, to be earnestly pressing toward

the mark of absolu

te perfection in Christ Jesus. And God ac-

counts such a Christian perfect so long as he maintains this

attitude and relationship to Christ.



THINK IT THROUGH



Should I expect to attain to a state of sinless perfec-

tion at any point in life prior to the close of probation?

fall unwillingly before the tempter, does God take

away from me the robe of Christ's righteousness until I

confess my sin and ask His forgiveness?

"The steps of a Christian may at

times appear feeble and faltering, yet

in his conscious weakness he leans

upon the Mighty One for support. He

is sustained, and makes sure progress

onward and upward toward perfection.

He gains new victories daily, and comes

nearer and nearer to the standard of

perfect holiness. His eye is not down-

ward to the earth, but upward, ever

keeping in view the heavenly Pattern."

—"Testimonies," Vol. 2, p. 228.

105



Christ, the Way to



Heaven

LESSON 13



❑

Thursday



Part 5



"Then said Jesus unto His disciples, If any man will

A REWARD FOR come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his

EVERY MAN cross, and follow Me. For whosoever will save his life shall

lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall

find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the

whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man

give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of man shall

come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and then

Matt. 16:24-27 He shall reward every man according to his works."

Christ here uses the words "save" one's life, "find" one's

life, and "reward" to express the ultimate goal of Christian

living. To this end He invites His followers to follow His

example, to deny themselves, to take up their crosses and fol-

low Him, and to lose their lives. The mature Christian does not

think of doing these things in order to earn the reward Christ

here promises. He now purposes to live in harmony with the

principles of heaven because it is in his heart to be in harmony

with those principles. It is by being in harmony with heaven's

principles now that we become eligible for the reward of life

eternal in that new universe. There, all will be perpetually

in harmony with God's will on the basis of an unalterable con-

viction that God's way is best.

It is one of the great paradoxes of life that no one works

more effectively against himself than the man who works ex-

clusively for himself. God will never forget those who forget

themselves by becoming so involved in their concern for others

that they neglect themselves for others.

What requirements did Jesus set forth to be met by

those who aspire to the reward of eternal life at His

coming?



THINK IT THROUGH



How does a person "deny" himself in the sense in

which Christ uses the term?

In a practical way, what does it mean to "take up"

the cross of Christ?

What might a man "give in exchange for his soul"?

"Let no one say, I cannot remedy my

defects of character. If you come to this

decision, you will certainly fail of ob-

taining everlasting life. The impossibil-

ity lies in your own will. If you will

not, then you cannot overcome. The real

difficulty arises from the corruption of

an unsanctified heart, and an unwill-

ingness to submit to the control of God.

106

"Many whom God has qualified to

do excellent work accomplish very lit-

tle, because they attempt little. Thou-

sands pass through life as if they had

no definite object for which to live, no

standard to reach. Such will obtain a

reward proportionate to their works."

—"Christ's Object Lessons," page 331.

Christ, the Way to Heaven

LESSON 13



❑

Friday

Part 6



"When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and

THE ETERNAL all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the

INHERITANCE throne of His glory: and before Him shall be gathered

all nations: and He shall separate them one from another,

as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: and He

shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on

the left. Then shall the King say unto them on His right

hand, Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom

Matt. 25:31-34 prepared for you from the foundation of the world."

"The kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the

world" is the original dominion over this earth granted to

Adam in the Garden of Eden but forfeited because of Adam's

sin. It is restored by virtue of the righteousness of the second

Adam. Read Rom. 5:12-19. In other words, the Creator's

original plan for this world, interrupted though it has been

by six thousand years of sin, will eventually be carried out.

When? "When the Son of man shall come in His glory." Christ

is now the Great Shepherd of the flock, but then He will sit

as man's righteous Judge and King.

An Oriental flock was often composed of both sheep and

goats. They would graze together, rest together, go about to-

gether. But there was a time of separation when each would

be called to fulfill its destiny, as determined by its inherent

nature as a sheep or a goat and by the product it had to

offer. In the same way our eternal destiny is determined by the

character we develop in this life, and by whether or not that

character qualifies us to inherit the kingdom God has prepared

for us from the foundation of the world.

In what expressive figures of speech does Christ set

forth the eternal reward of those who aspire to the prize

of eternal life in Christ Jesus?

THINK IT THROUGH

A goat cannot help acting like a goat, nor a sheep like

a sheep. How then is it fair to condemn the goats in

Christ's parable of the kingdom? Is this not an arbitrary

act on God's part?

If Christ were living today, would He speak of the

future life as a "kingdom"? Would it be just as accurate

to picture the future life as a democracy?

"Before the ransomed throng is the

Holy City. Jesus opens wide the pearly

gates, and the nations that have kept

the truth enter in. There they behold

the Paradise of God, the home of Adam

in his innocency. Then that voice, richer

than any music that ever fell on mortal

ear, is heard, saying: 'Your conflict is

ended."Come, ye blessed of My Father,

inherit the kingdom prepared for you

from the foundation of the world.'"—

"The Great Controversy," page 646.

107

Christ, the Way to Heaven

LESSON 13

Part 7 0 SUMMARY QUESTIONS 0 A TEST OF YOUR STUDY POWER

Now that you have studied this lesson you are invited to answer the fol-

lowing questions. Check your answers with the answers at the bottom of this

sheet.

Complete: "Let us draw near with a true



in full assurance



," by the "new and living



" that Christ

pioneered for us by His own perfect example on earth and by His vicarious

sacrifice on Calvary.

To illustrate the relationship we are to sustain to Him, Christ used as an

illustration :

(a)

a mustard seed,

(b)

a grapevine,

(c)

a fig tree,

(d)

a shep-

herd and his flock



Christ repeatedly stressed the fact that our love for Him will find expres-

sion in, or be demonstrated by,



Complete: "Reaching forth unto those things which are before, I



for the prize of the high calling

True or False: Jesus said that eternal rewards will be meted out on the

basis of how a man has lived in this life



Jesus compared the future reward of the faithful to a:

(a)

home, (b) city,

(c)

kingdom,

(d)

vineyard



(9) :am; (9) :51.1EUI alp pienno;

ssaid



:swauipueuxtuoa sq./ 2u!daal .10 `amia!paqo (c) :q (z) :ken& 'lop; ‘1.1E01./ (/) :s.rantsuv

108

of God in Christ Jesus."

etudil

our

Leon?

0.0

-00

)

Ono

oop in fly Piefuro.

PERIODICAL

DEPARTMENT

ouramtm 1 I. 0.L.

ORDER TODAY FROM YOUR LAY ACTIVITIES

SECRETARY OR BOOK AND BIBLE HOUSE

For

Mormon

Friends

For

Catholic

Friends

Have you given them any of these:

For Armstrong

Friends

For Jehovah's

Witness Friends

3 ill

40 Maki)

pacific press publishing association

ONE-MINUTE

QUIZ

Do you have a friend who is:

LI A Mormon



❑

A Catholic

LI A Jehovah's Witness

❑

An Armstrong member

Thirteenth Sabbath Offering

SEPTEMBER 26, 1970



•



SOUTHERN EUROPEAN DIVISION

On September 26 you will be asked to give a special offering, and

it is important that you know something about the projects to benefit

from your offering. Three different sections of the Southern Euro-

pean Division will benefit from the overflow of the Thirteenth

Sabbath Offering: Yugoslavia in Europe, the Republic of Chad in

Equatorial Africa, and Malagasy Republic (Madagascar).

The European project is the establishment of an evangelistic

center in Nis, the sixth largest city in Yugoslavia, where our work

has progressed very well. Since the end of World War II, more than

one hundred places of worship have been opened in Yugoslavia as

the result of the generosity of her own people. Authorization has

been obtained to build an evangelistic center in the city of Nis.

In the Republic of Chad in Africa the authorities have asked

us to help them in establishing a dispensary with a maternity wing

in the southern part of the country. We have no Adventists here.

But now we may give these people the message of God's love.

On the large island of Madagascar we have a secondary school

with 500 students but we could easily have 800 or 1,000. Unfor-

tunately we do not have the space. Therefore a part of the overflow

will be used to enlarge and improve this school. The carrying

forward of all these projects depends on the generosity of our

Sabbath School members around the world on September 26.

Lessons for the Fourth Quarter of 1970

Sabbath School members who have not received an adult

Lesson Quarterly

for the fourth quarter of 1970 will be

helped by the following outline in studying the first lesson.

The title of the series is "To Make Man Whole." The title

of the first lesson is "The Restoration of Man." The memory

verse is John 3:16. The outline is as follows:

1. Original State of Man. Gen. 1:27, 31. 2. Man's Moral

Fall. Gen. 3:6. 3. The Curses Pronounced. Gen. 3:16, 17.

Promise of a Saviour. Gen. 3:15; Rom. 5:12, 20 (last part).

Jesus' Mission—to Restore. Luke 19:10; Matt. 20:28; Rom.

5:8. 6. Dimension of Restoration. Acts 3:20, 21.

Litho in U.S.A.

Sa3



SOUTKERN

UNIONS

EUROPEAN

POPULATION



CHURCHES

DIVISIO5N1

CHURCH



SAB.SCH.

MEMBERS



MEMBERS

Angola Union Mission

5,373,000

20,555

31,294

Austrian Union

7,323,000

2,614

2,880

Bulgarian Church

8,309,000

2,803

2,940

Czechoslovakian Union Conference

14,305,000

153

7,011

10,241

Equatorial



African



Union



Mission

11,861,810

11,103

21,923

Franco-Belgian Union Conference

59,891,170

106

6,230

4,614

Hungarian Union Conference

10,236,000

153

5,800

6,168

Indian Ocean Union Mission

7,543,511

110

7,077

13,041

Italian Union Mission

52,334,000

3,311

3,674

Portuguese Union Mission

10,678,000

3,579

3,349

Rumanian Union Conference

19,287,000

512

40,864

51,943

Spanish Church



33,508,051

2,612

2,821

Swiss Union Conference

6,066,000 -

3,846

3,577

Yugoslavian Union Conference

19,958,000

251

10,229 10,439

Greek Mission

10,568,699

268

214

Israel



Mission

2,686,200

Mozambique Mission

7,124,000

8,746

12,280

North African Mission

30,699,862

130

Senegal Mission

16,583,036

185

Division Totals

334,335,339

1,768

136,858 181,728